Paris' Portrait 2OOO

Le Mois de la Photo à Paris

Paris:- Friday, 3. November 2000:- For some crazy illogical reason, I expected any one of the city's three or more cultural press services to send me some sort of a info package concerning this important event, but this has not happened.

Ideally, for all readers who are interested in photography, some details should have been available at least six months ago. For 'events' in general I am working towards this goal - but to receive nothing about a major event - in 2000! - a week after it has begun, is disconcerting.

Although the 'Mois de la Photo' is plastered with the Ville de Paris logo - 'Le Mois de la Photo à Paris: "Paris capitale de la photographie" - I suspect that the Maison Européenne de la Photographie is the major mojo.

My experience with this organization has been extremely brief. Some years ago I visited it with the idea of doing a feature about it, and was invited to leave instead.

This doesn't upset me particularly. I went there with the idea that it might be an important player in Paris' cultural scheme of things and came away thinking the opposite. The place feels threatened by possible publicity.

Three important photographers recently had exhibitions at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie. They were Irving Penn, Hiro and Bernard Faucon. All three exhibitions started on Wednesday, 13. September and end tomorrow - apparently no part of the 'Mois de la Photo.'

That none of these exhibitions has been featured in the 'Scene' column is probably my fault for not being more aggressive - for nobody 'owes' me or Metropole's readers any cultural information.

All the same, here is the Maison Européenne de la Photographie's 'Mois de la Photo à Paris' blurb, paraphrased:

"Without doubt, Paris is the world's city most favorable to photography. For the 20th anniversary of this globally renowned biannual 'Month of the Photo,' it therefore seems natural to have 'Paris' as its unique theme."

The list below only features the barest details about the exhibitions and other events; and no doubt some have been completely overlooked, mislaid, or lack any publicity - even if the anti-show, the 'Off,' is mentioned.

When not free, entry charges for items below are generally 20 to 30 francs, with the usual reductions. For the commercial 'Salon Paris Photo' at the Carrousel du Louvre, the entry charge is 70 francs.

Paris' photo citadel obviously plays some part in this biannual photo extravaganza. Bernard Faucon is gone, but you can still catch some of his posters at fnac's Saint-Lazare location until Friday, 10. November. Also see its Ephémères exhibition. From December 2000 until April 2001. At the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, 5-7. Rue de Fourcy, Paris 4. Métro: Saint-Paul or Pont-Marie. InfoTel.: 01 44 78 75 26.
Détours - Raymond Depardon - photographer and film maker, from Wednesday, 15 November until Thursday,15. February
Symposium International de la Photographie, on the theme of the 'Silence of Photography,' featuring well-known contemporary photographers and writers. On Saturday and Sunday, 18 and 19. November.

Paris, 1950 et 1999 - a 'Daily Report' by Frank Horvat. Until Sunday, 26. November. At the Musée Maillot, 59. Rue de Grenelle, Paris 7. Métro: Rue de Bac.
Germaine Krull - Rétrospective, from Wednesday, 22. November until Monday, 4. December. Centre Pompidou. Métro: Rambuteau.
Le Paris de B. Desprez - photos done for Le Monde; until Sunday, 3. December. At the Musée Rodin, 77. Rue de Varenne, Paris 7. Métro: Varenne.
Paris Expos 1867-1900 - features photos of Paris' several 'Universal Expositions' in the last half of the last century. Until Saturday, 30. December. At the Musée de l'Histoire de France, Hôtel Soubise, 60. Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, Paris 3. Métro: Rambuteau.
Paris en 3D - from 1850 to 2000, from stereoscopes ro virtual reality, Paris and its history presented in three dimensions. Until Sunday, 31. December, at the Musée Carnavalet, 23. Rue de Sévigné, Paris 3. Métro: Saint-Paul.
L'Indien d'Amérique du Nord - features rare photos by Edward S. Curtis, who some accuse of showing Indians 'how we would like to see them.' Until Sunday, 31. December; except Mondays, from 10:00 to 18:30. In the 'Patrimonie Photographique' section at the Hôtel de Sully, 62. Rue Saint-Antoine, Paris 4. Métro: Saint-Paul. InfoTel.: 01 42 74 47 75. Expo book; 490 francs. See also 'Edward S. Curtis, les Indiens d'Amérique du Nord, portfolios complets,' Editions Taschen, 157.50 francs.
Paris dans la Grande Guerre - images of WWI, until Sunday, 31. December. At the Musée des Armées, 129. Rue de Grenelle, Paris 7. Métro: Solférino.
Bourdelle et la Photographie - 'L'Oeil at la Main,' from Thursday, 16. November until Wednesday, 18. February. At the Musée Bourdelle, 16. Rue Antoine Bourdelle, Paris 15. Métro: Montparnasse.
Montparnasse Vue Par... - photos of Montparnasse from the '20's to the '40's, of and by the artists and their friends. until Tuesday, 5. December. At the Chemin du Montparnasse, 21. Avenue du Maine, Paris 15. Métro: Montparnasse.

Nyxtepina/Nocturnes - photos by Constantin Thomopoulos, from Tuesday, 21. November until Monday, 11. December. At the Maison de la Grève, 9. Rue de Mesnil, Paris 16. Métro: Victor Hugo.
Ton Sirea - aerial photos show the urbanization of Paris. Until Sunday, 24. November, at the Centre des Etudes Catalanes, 9. Rue Sainte-Croix-de-la- Bretonnerie, Paris 4. Métro: Hôtel-de-Ville.
Paris, Passages, Passé - see Atget, Bovis, the Seeberger brothers, Marville, until Sunday, 26. November. At the Fondation Electricité, Espace Electra, 6. Rue Récamier. Paris 7. Métro: Sévres-Babylone. This exhibition is also listed as showing at the Mairie of the 10th.
Voyage Sentimental - features photo works by Nobuyoshi Aroki. Until Wednesday, 27. November. At the Centre National de la Photographie, 11. Rue Berryer, Paris 8. Métro: George V.
Lumière et Temps - mixes the images of the masters with the totally unknown, until Thursday, 30. November. At the Centre Culturel du Mexique, 119. Rue Vieille-du-Temple, Paris 3. Métro: Saint-Sébastien-Froissart.
L'Art des Lieux - features photos by Bruno Cattani. Until Tuesday, 12. December, at the Institut Culturel Italien, 50. Rue de Varenne, Paris 7. Métro: Sèvres-Babylone
Paris en Gris - photos by Bogdan Konopka, until Saturday, 16. December, at the Institut Polonais, 29. Rue Jean-Goujon, Paris 8. Métro: Franklin D Roosevelt.
Les Années Parisiennes - features photos by Ilse Bing. Until Thursday, 21. December. At the Goethe Institut, 17. Avenue Iéna, Paris 16. Métro: Iéna.
L'Oeil Du Nord - Paris, as seen by Dutch photographers; from Thursday, 9. November until Sunday, 31. December. At the Institut Néerlandais, 121. Rue de Lille, Paris 7. Métro: Assemblée Nationale.
Les Cathédrales Inconnues - photos by Piero Steinle and Julian Rosefeldt. Until Friday, 5. January. At the Goethe Institut, 31. Rue de Condé, Paris 6. Métro: Odéon.
Paris 1948-1958 - from the views of the stroller, Tore Johnson. Until Sunday, 14. January. At the Centre Culturel Suédois, 11. Rue Payenne, Paris 3. Métro: Saint-Paul.
Paris Godard 57-67 Photogrammes - stills and audio extracts from Godard's films, until Sunday, 7. January, at the Centre Culturel Suisse, 38. Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, Paris 3. Métro: Saint-Paul or Hôtel-de-Ville.
Mythes, Rêves et Réalités - of contemporary Argentine photographers. Also see 'Les Coins de Paris,' by Alicia d'Amico. Until Friday, 5. January, at the Maison de l'Amérique Latine, 217. Boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris 7. Métro: Solférino.
Notes Capitales - photos by Amaud Maggs, from Wednesday, 15. November until Saturday, 27. January. At the Centre Culturel Canadien, 5. Rue de Constantine, Paris 7. Métro: Invalides.
Thomas Demand - 'density of colors, elegant dimensions, pure angles and balance.' From Friday, 24. November until Sunday, 28. January, at the Fondation Cartier Pour l'Art Contemporain, 261. Boulevard Raspail, Paris 14. Métro: Raspail. Info. Tel.: 01 42 18 56 51.

Doisneau's Giant Kiss - is known in France as the 'Baiser de l'Hôtel de Ville' and has been blown up to some huge size and can be seen in front of - where else? - the Hôtel de Ville, until Monday, 25. November. The public is invited to 'invent' stories for this photo, and some of them will be broadcast on radio France-Info, probably bumping my favorite program, the 'Life of Plants.'
Paris en 80 Quartiers - this exhibition which is currently on tour through Paris' 20 Hôtels-de-Ville, is very visual, and is concurrent with the Mois de la Photo. Therefore, try to see the following three:
Capital Jeunesse - photos by Gilles Coulon, Hélène Bromberger, Cham Kim, Martine Locotelli, and Martin Parr; all until Sunday, 26. November, at the Mairie of the 13th, 1. Place de l'Italie, Paris 13. Métro: Place de l'Italie. Closed Sundays.
Paris, Mirror de l'Europe - is described only as a 'collective exhibition,' and its location is given as the 'Salon d'Honneur,' 29. Rue de Rivoli. Another exhibition is called 'Des Européens à Paris' and its location is given as the 'Salon d'Accueil' of the Hôtel de Ville, at 5. Rue Lobau. I don't know whether the functions of these two have been switched, or the addresses. Both: métro Hôtel-de-Ville.
Paris Goutte d'Or - photos by Isabelle and Florian Haerdter, until Friday, 1. December, at the Hôtel d'Albret, 31. Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, Paris 4. Métro: Saint-Paul.
Dites 2000! - during the school year of 1999/2000, a lot of younger Paris students made 20 'walls' of images, and I think some of these are on view with the 'Paris en 80 Quartiers' travelling show. HQ of the operation was the Maison du Geste et de l'Image, 42. Rue Saint-Denis, Paris 1.
Le Cinéma et les Photographes - is a series of films by or about photographers, continuing until Thursday, 14. December at the Forum des Images, Porte Sainte-Eustache, Forum des Halles, Paris 1. Métro: Les Halles, exit Pavillon des Arts. Also see films by Raymond Depardon, Robert Frank and William Klein, from 10 to 12. December, at the Cinéma Elysée-Biarritz, 22-24. Rue Quentin-Bauchart, Paris 8. Métro: George V.

fnac - is featuring not only exhibits of photos, but also chances to meet famous photographers; at their Etoile, Forum des Halles, Saint-Lazare and Montparnasse locations. InfoTel.: 01 40 41 80 80. Atget's interiors are at Etoile from Saturday, 18. November until Wednesday, 24. January. See Alexandre Trauner's works at the Forum des Halles, until Monday, 15. January. 'Le Paris de Bernard Franck' - by Gérard Rondeau runs from Friday, 10. November until Monday, 15. January at Montparnasse. Until Friday, 10. November, see the posters by Bernard Faucon at Saint-Lazare.

4th Mois Off! - is apparently the anti-'Mois de la Photo' gang and it is presenting 60 exhibitions in parallel with the 'official' photo festival. Also biannual, next year the 'Off' is planned again, to be 'On' when the 'Mois de la Photo' is 'Off' itself. Meeting point this year: at the Espace Regards, 15. Rue de Montmartre, Paris 1. Métro: Les Halles, on the Rambuteau side. InfoTel.: 01 43 49 54 07.

Photographies à Paris - and elsewhere, features Bernard Plossu, or the 'still cinema.' Only until Thursday, 9. November. Galerie Michèle Chomette, 24. Rue Beaubourg, Paris 3. Métro: Rambuteau.
Lomo, Vues de Paris - until Saturday, 15. November. At the following: Galerie Anne Barrault, 22. Rue Saint Clause, Paris 3; Galerie-Chez Valentin, 9. Rue Saint-Gilles, Paris 3; Galerie Evelyne Camus, 9. Rue du Roi de Sicile, Paris 4; and at the Gilbert Brownstone Family Foundation, 17 and 26. Rue Saint-Gilles, Paris 3.
Paris, La Presse - and its humanist photographers; features Ilse Bing, Cartier-Bresson, Doisneau. Until Sunday, 26. November. At the Galerie Thierry Marlat, 2. Rue de Jarente, Paris 4. Métro: Saint-Paul
Ilan Wolff - used tin cans and his Renault to create distortions of Paris. Until Saturday, 25. November, at the Cité Internationale des Arts, 18. Rue de l'Hôtel de Ville, Paris 4. Métro: Pont-Marie
Objectif Paris - visions in multiple directions, times and techniques. Until Wednesday, 29. November. At the Espace Commines, 17. Rue des Commines, Paris 3. Métro: Filles-de-Calvaire
A Nous Deux, Paris - as seen by two, Dolorès Marat and Harvey Benge. Until Thursday, 30. November. Galerie Serge Aboukrat, 7. Place de Furtsenberg, Paris 6. Métro: Saint-Germain.
Paris, Passages, Présent - coproduction of the Iris school and the Mairie of the 10th, until Thursday, 30. November. At 72. Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Martin, Paris 10. Métro: Château-d'Eau
Paris/Paris - featuring Atget, Brassaï, Doisneau, Bovis; from Friday, 10. November until Friday, 1. December, at the Galerie Françoise Paviot, 57. Rue Sainte-Anne, Paris 2. Métro: Quatre-Septembre.
L'Architecture Hospitalière - and the Parisians, until Friday, 1. December. At the brand-new Hôpital Georges Pompidou, 20. Rue Leblanc, Paris 15. Métro: Balard.
Nocturnes - are by Claude Dityvon, until Saturday, 2. December. At the Galerie Esther Woerdehoff, 36. Rue Falguière, Paris 15. Métro: Pasteur.
L'Ombre de Paris - has been captured by François Le Diascom. Until Saturday, 2. December. at the Galerie Guy Creté, 121. Rue Vieille-du-Temple, Paris 3. Métro: Saint-Sébastien-Froissart.
Paris Vu de Ma Fenêtre - done from 1992 to 2000, by Anne Deguelle. Until Saturday, 2. December, at the Galerie Anne Barrault, 22. Rue Saint-Claude, Paris 3. Métro: Saint-Sébastien-Froissart.
Paris Detruit Mines Niet - photos by Krysztof Pruszkowski, until Saturday, 2. December. This is at the gallery that faces eviction; there is a petition to sign when you visit. Galerie Agathe Gaillard, 3. Rue du Pont-Louis-Philippe, Paris 4. Métro: Pont-Marie.
PSQF - translated means, 'Paris from my window,' features Sarah Moon, Gladys, Paolo Roversi, Willy Ronis, Lucien Hervé, Jun Shiraoka, Bernard Plossu. Until Tuesday, 5. December, at the Galerie Camera Obscura, 12. Rue Ernest Cresson, Paris 14. Métro: Denfert-Rochereau.
Présences - is a photo report about the creation of La Villette and the new BNF in the '80's and '90's by Amoud Baumann, on view at two sites. Until Friday, 17. November at the Galerie Lambert, 8. Rue des Barres, Paris 4. Until Tuesday, 5. December at the Espace Mayer Zafra, 4. Rue Mahler, Paris 4. Métro: Saint-Paul.
Le Paris de Nietzsche - photos by Victor Burgin, until Thursday, 7. December. At the Galerie Liliane et Michel Durand-Dessert, 28. Rue de Lappe, Paris 11. Métro Bastille.
Tout Cela est Bouleversant - according to? Photos by Philippe Sohiez, until Saturday, 9. December. At the Galerie Magda, Danysz, 19. Rue Emile Durkhein, Paris 13. Métro: Bibliothèque François Mitterrand.
L'Elegance - is about the Champs-Elysées and the Faubourg-Saint-Honoré in the '50's and '60's, as seen by Janine Niépce. From Thursday, 9. November until Sunday, 10. December. At the Galerie des Muses, 1. Rue Scribe, Paris 9. Métro: Opéra.
Paris-Inédit - on show, Maurice Tabard and Man Ray. From Tuesday, 14. November until Friday, 15. December. At the Galerie 1900-2000, 8. Rue Bonapartre, Paris 6. Métro: Saint-Germain.
Paris en Marge - 'on the edge,' skinned alive by Ralf Marsault, until Saturday, 16. December. At the Espace Donguy-Apegac, 57. Rue de la Roquette, Paris 11. Métro: Bastille. This may have changed locations, to the Heart Galerie.
Intra-Extra - Eric Prinvault has been looking at the Paris of evictions, demolitions, temporary lodgings and renovations, and the people affected. From Saturday, 25. November until Sunday, 17. December. At the Centre Culturel La Clef, 21. Rue de la Clef, Paris 5. Métro: Place Monge.
Louis Stettner's Paris - from 1935, no departs from an ethical depiction of the human condition. From Saturday, 18. November until Monday, 18. December. At the Galerie Marion Meyer, 15. Rue Guénégaud, Paris 6. Métro: Odéon or Pont-Neuf
Paris - Regards - capitol photos by Lucien Hervé, Paul Seawrigt, Massimo Vitali, Martin Parr, Thierry Lefébure, Denis Dailleux, Pierre Reimer, Louis Jammes. Until Saturday, 30. December. At the Galerie du Jour Agnès B, 44. Rue Quincampoix, Paris 4. Métro: Rambuteau.
Les Travaux et les Jours - 1914-1960, features Paris and Parisians from the pages of the newspaper L'Aurore/Le Figaro. Until Monday, 1. January. The BNF may still be closed, so this exhibition is only available on the Web.
Hôtel Scribe, 1999, Paris - photographed by Chantal Michel. From Saturday, 25. November until Monday, 15. January, at the Galerie d'Art Yvonamor Palix, 13. Rue Keller, Paris 11. Métro: Ledru-Rollin
La Jeunesse à Paris - see Igor Moukhine's works from Tuesday, 14. November until 17. February, at the Galerie Carré Noir, 2. Impasse Lebouis, Paris 14. Métro: Gaîte.

Ca C'est Paris Photo! - or, 'Le Salon Paris Photo' - at the Carrousel du Louvre, means that this is an 'Art Photo' market, with 90 galleries and publishers, from 15 countries. Many of the Paris galleries featuring photos will also be present. This is its 4th edition and it takes place from Thursday, 16. November until Sunday, 19. November. Métro: Palais Royal.

See an update and additional comments about Paris' 'Mois de la Photo' in next week's Metropole, in the 'Image of Paris' feature.