Fondazione Marconi and Gió Marconi present 'Man Ray: M for Dictionary,' a comprehensive survey of Man Ray's work organized around his linguistic experiments. The exhibition, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the artist's death, is curated by Yuval Etgar and Deborah D’Ippolito and spans photography, painting, sculpture, and drawing. It includes a second display titled 'In Other Words' featuring contemporary artists Alex Da Corte, Simon Fujiwara, Wade Guyton, Allison Katz, and Tai Shani, whose work engages with language in visual art.
This exhibition matters because it is the first historical survey to take language as its organizing principle for Man Ray's oeuvre, highlighting his foundational role in Dada and Surrealism. By returning to Studio Marconi's 1969 display and the 'Alphabet for Adults' drawings, the show recontextualizes Man Ray's playful yet critical wordplay, emphasizing how his linguistic innovations continue to influence contemporary artists. It also underscores the enduring legacy of the Marconi gallery family in Milan's art scene.