The first stars

An emotional journey into the magic of the Seventh Art, born out of a collaboration between the internationally renowned artist Gianluigi Toccafondo e Milan Film Library. The exhibition is the first event to launch and herald the initiatives for the 80 years of the Milan Film Archive (1947–2027). The exhibition winds its way through the rooms and corridors of the MIC – Interactive Museum of Cinema, hosting fifty paintings specially created by Toccafondo. The artist has reworked these historical black-and-white images of some of the most important actresses of the early 20th century, transforming them into works with a strong visual impact.

The original photographs come from the valuable photographic collection by Vico D’Incerti, preserved in the Cineteca’s archive. An entire room is dedicated to these images, featuring portraits of famous icons such as Lyda Borelli, Italy Almirante, Fernanda Fassy, Josephine Baker, Isa Bluette, Carmen Boni e Rina De Liguoro. Each photo is accompanied by a QR code to find out more about the protagonists’ biographies. The interactive experience also includes a “digital incubator” on a touchscreen to explore and zoom in on the portraits, an exhibition area dedicated to the artist’s noir-style drawings of the opening credits, animated video footage along the central corridor and the full screening of the short films by Toccafondo in the cinema.