To the opening of Palazzo Diedo, the Polaroid Foundation invited the 11 artists participating in the inaugural Janus exhibition to create an original work using the Polaroid 20x24. The world's largest instant camera stands almost two meters tall, weighs more than 120 kg, and produces 20×24 inch (50×60 cm) photos of remarkable resolution. Introduced as a showpiece in 1976, it soon found favor as an artists' camera. Andy Warhol, Chuck Close, Jim Dine, Julian Schnabel, Lukas Samaras, Mary Ellen Mark, Robert Frank, Robert Mapplethorpe, Robert Rauschenberg, Sally Mann, William Wegman and dozens of other artists and photographers created a wide and diverse body.
In 2022, Polaroid BV restored one of the five existing machines to be used exclusively for creating artistic works and developed a completely new film. To support artists in using the camera, the foundation enlisted the expertise of John Reuter, the camera's legendary operator.
The exhibition at Palazzo Diedo marks both the official launch of the Polaroid Foundation and the re-birth of the Polaroid 20×24.
