Renč's works WERE represented at the Ch.ACO art fair by MH Gallery, founded by producer Milosh Harajda, who has organized numerous exhibitions dedicated to the work of artists such as Alexander McQueen, David LaChapelle, Robert Wilson, Daphne Guinness, and Anna Bauer, among others.
"For many years I had the opportunity to follow Ben's work and the more photographs he shared with me, the clearer the contours of our future collaboration became. From the beginning, it was my ambition to introduce him outside the Czech Republic, and given that his portrait work was fundamentally inspired and influenced by Peruvian photographer Mario Testino, I saw the Latin American market and the Ch.ACO art fair as the ideal platform for Ben's world premiere," said Milosh Harajda, creative producer and founder of MH Gallery.
"I have been thinking about my own exhibition for many years, but the right moment has not yet come. When Milosh first approached me with the idea of exhibiting at Ch.Aco, I agreed, mainly because it was a challenge for me to step into unknown territory. Moreover, many would probably guess that I would be presenting fashion photography or black and white portraits, which are so significant for me, but the opposite is true. All of the works on display come from my free work and have one thing in common - they were created as part of a diary during my travels during the summer months and they mix my fascination with youth and the joys of life in all its forms," Renč revealed.
“Last year's Ch.ACO returned to the physical form of the fair and will feature international galleries from 8 different countries. Chile has a long tradition in the world of photography and has some great personalities working here, so we truly appreciate that Benedikt Renč and his art agent Milosh Harajda have chosen to exhibit at the fair as their perspective brings fresh energy to our market. Moreover, it is an interesting way to connect Santiago with Prague. The Movistar Arena is a new location that will attract a new audience, which, especially during the pandemic, has become more interested in art. I am extremely grateful that Ch.ACO will offer them an authentic experience," said the project director Elodie Fulton.
The 13th edition of Ch.ACO was held at the Movistar Arena in Santiago de Chile from 18 to 20 November.
Photographer Benedikt Renč enchants audiences with his work at Dover Street Market Paris
One year after the world premiere of his work at the Ch.ACO Art Fair in Santiago de Chile, photographer Benedikt Renč presented his series "Fashion Stills" during the ASVOFF Fashion Film Festival in Paris.
Visitors had the opportunity to see a series of 36 images on display at Dover Street Market Paris for the duration of the festival. The original multi-brand store, which was founded in 2004 in London by the visionary Rei Kawakubo (Comme des Garçons), was conceived as both a retail and exhibition space. After London, New York, Tokyo, LA, Beijing, and Singapore, Paris has now joined the list of the store’s outposts.
"Exhibiting my work during PARIS PHOTO week has always been my dream, and I greatly appreciate that the fashion icon Diane Pernet signed up to the project," said Renč, whose exhibition was visited by personalities such as Jay-Jay Johanson, Michèle Lamy, and Suzy Menkes.
The ASVOFF Fashion Film Festival presented its 15th edition this fall and showcased a selection of young talents, alongside established artists in new categories such as Black Spectrum, AI Film, and The Queer Archive. The founder of the festival, Diane Pernet, has been named as one of the 500 most influential personalities in the fashion industry by leading news outlet The Business of Fashion.
"Ben's premiere in the capital of fashion was tailored to Dover Street Market, and the title of the series has a slightly ironic character, referring to the sphere from which Ben comes as a photographer. The series presented in Paris points to the dark side of the fashion industry, which often uses forgotten places as a backdrop for glam campaigns and editorials," adds the creative producer of the project, Milosh Harajda.
This is a highly anticipated follow up for the Czechoslovak duo, after the success of Renč’s exhibition at the Chile Arte Contemporáneo (Ch.ACO) Art Fair in 2022, where he gained his first international collectors.