Notice to Madonna fans ! The star photographed by Kenji Wakasugi in 1985 can be admired at the Galerie de l’Instant in Paris on the occasion of an unprecedented photo exhibition.
A major cultural shock
Born in 1974, Kenji Wakasugi is part of the first generation of Madonna fans, whose debut in 1983 had the effect of a real earthquake : musically of course, but above all because the arrival of this character challenged the standards ! Half-naked, disheveled, fluorescent mittens, leather bracelets and crucifixes galore, she was a major cultural shock for millions of kids and teenagers, as well as a source of inspiration and great joy. Outraged parents, exacerbated sexuality, fans in a trance… A dream for teenagers !
The first Japanese stay of Madonna
After years of reinventing herself to become the star that we know, what a joy to discover the freshness of this shoot directed by Kenji Wakasugi in 1985 in Tokyo during the first Japanese stay of the Madonna who presented her second album at the time, “ Like a Virgin”. The photographer only had 45 minutes to capture this new artist for Playboy magazine. But it didn’t take much more to capture forever the birth of this icon, her insolence, the intensity of her gaze, the power of her character and her ironclad determination. Thirty-seven years after this shooting, the images were found and are exhibited in the Marais district of Paris. They take on a whole new dimension with regard to the career of the star, the time spent and successive fashions. Nearly 40 years and a gargantuan career later, these freeze frames reflect more than ever a Madonna with an inexhaustible thirst for life and a gaze of lightning intensity, who marked entire generations and paved the way for many others. after her.
Exhibition from June 28 to October 2, 2022 at the Galerie de l’instant 46, Rue de Poitou Paris 75003
