THE WORLD OF TIM BURTON

The Museo Nazionale del Cinema in Turin presents THE WORLD OF TIM BURTON, an exhibition devoted to Tim Burton’s creative genius. Conceived and co-curated by Jenny He in collaboration with Tim Burton, and adapted for the Museo Nazionale del Cinema by Domenico De Gaetano, the exhibition will be presented for the first time in Italy at the Mole Antonelliana from 11 October 2023 to 7 April 2024.

The exhibition offers a journey through Tim Burton’s visionary universe and creativity. At its heart is the filmmaker’s personal archive, revealing the extraordinary range of his creative output. Alongside precious documents, it features drawings and sketches illustrating the recurring themes and visual motifs from which the characters inhabiting his distinctive cinematic worlds emerged.

This major immersive exhibition provides an exclusive journey into the mind of a creative genius and a comprehensive exploration of Tim Burton’s artistic output, unmistakable style and unique perspective. Staged in the Temple Hall, along the Helical Ramp and on the Reception Level of the Mole Antonelliana, the exhibition is divided into nine thematic sections and features more than 550 original artworks, rarely or never previously displayed. Spanning his earliest work to his most recent projects, the exhibits include sketches, paintings, drawings, photographs, concept art, storyboards, costumes, moving-image works, models, puppets and life-size sculptural installations.

Making full use of the Mole Antonelliana’s striking vertical architecture, the evocative setting allows visitors to immerse themselves in Tim Burton’s extraordinary universe. The exhibition traces the filmmaker’s career and the evolution of his distinctive visual imagination as a multidimensional postmodern artist, creating a form of autobiography told through his boundless creative process. Through this unique presentation of Burton’s work, his singular vision is shown to transcend media and formats, revealing how ideas, themes and even specific images from his art found their way into the iconic films now associated with his spectacular cinematic imagination.

Long before achieving critical and commercial success in both live-action and animation, Burton drew inspiration from films shown on television, animated works, newspaper comic strips, myths and fairy tales encountered at school, and other forms of popular culture. These enduring influences have remained central to both his art and his films.

Tim Burton will also take part in an exceptional masterclass and receive the Stella della Mole Award in recognition of his visionary and innovative contribution to the history of cinema and his unmistakable style. Throughout the exhibition, the Museum will organise public events and activities for schools, alongside dedicated screenings at Cinema Massimo and film lectures presented in collaboration with Scuola Holden.

The Museum will also organise a series of professional development sessions for teachers and a workshop in collaboration with Scuola Holden. To accompany the exhibition, Cinema Massimo will present a complete retrospective of Tim Burton’s feature films between November 2023 and February 2024. This will be complemented by a carte blanche selection featuring several films particularly admired by the director of Edward Scissorhands and which helped shape his unique cinematic vision. The films will be screened in chronological order, allowing audiences to experience—or rediscover—Burton’s entire body of work from beginning to end and gain a comprehensive understanding of his artistic vision.

The exhibition is accompanied by the catalogue The World of Tim Burton, published by Silvana Editoriale, edited by Domenico De Gaetano and coordinated by Fabio Pezzetti Tonion. It includes an extensive selection of images and texts by Tim Burton, Jenny He, Domenico De Gaetano, Stefano Bessoni, Giona A. Nazzaro and Luca Beatrice.