From July 13 to November 18, 2024, the Centre Pompidou-Metz will showcase photography in all its diverse forms with the exhibition “Seeing Time in Colour.” Curated by esteemed photography expert Sam Stourdzé, currently director of the Villa Médicis in Rome and former director of Les Rencontres d’Arles (2014-2020) and the Musée de l’Élysée in Lausanne (2010-2014), this exhibition features around 300 works by 50 photographers. It presents a comprehensive overview of the significant technical challenges that have shaped the history of photography. Visitors will have the chance to view exceptional pieces, including rare plates depicting the restoration of Italian Renaissance masterpieces, seldom-seen seascapes by Gustave Le Gray, and autochrome plates from Albert Kahn’s collection, recreated for this exhibition.

The exhibition explores the intricate relationship between technology and photography. Optical and mechanical advancements, chemical processes, and innovative physical properties have not only facilitated photographic production but also sparked significant artistic revolutions within the medium.

The exhibition is divided into three sections, each addressing critical issues related to the reproduced image, the origins of photography, the emergence of the snapshot that heralded the modern era of photography, and the crucial development of colour, which led to the widespread accessibility of the medium. Each section highlights the photographic work of an iconic figure: Constantin Brancusi, who used photography to create numerous interpretations of his sculptures; Harold Edgerton, who, in the 1950s, captured moments in time with such precision that they seemed to disintegrate; and Saul Leiter and Helen Levitt, pioneers of colour photography who transformed reality into a poetic form through their use of vibrant hues. Surrounding these central figures, the exhibition features a multitude of other artists who have explored diverse aspects of photography.

Spanning different periods, the exhibition juxtaposes pioneering 19th- and 20th-century photographers with contemporary artists. Highlights include Hans Peter Feldmann’s installation “Shadow Play,” which revisits the camera obscura as an early form of the reproduced image, and works by Dove Allouche, Ann Veronica Janssens, Laure Tiberghien, and Hugo Deverchère. These contemporary pieces underscore the ongoing exploration and technical innovation within the medium of photography.

Seeing Time In Colour: The Challenges of Photography
JUL 13 → NOV 18, 2024
Centre Pompidou-Metz – Paris – France

More info:
https://www.centrepompidou-metz.fr/en