Featuring photographs, magazine spreads, newspaper features, letters, memos and more, this landmark publication published by Actes Sud celebrating the 70th anniversary of the renowned Magnum Agency explores the world as seen through the lenses of a photographers’ cooperative that has historically oscillated between photojournalism and art.
With Clément Chéroux, we sought to create a fresh perspective and raise new questions, departing from the Magnum myth. This book offers a critical viewpoint, framing the evolution of the agency within a broader historical context. It develops a narrative tracing the principles behind the founding of Magnum and explores the ideas that Magnum helped to shape and accompany during the second half of the 20th century.
We wanted to feature specific projects and series as well as the connections between various photographs around common themes. The first part of the book (1947-1968) focuses on post war humanist ideals, drawing parallels between the subjects explored by Magnum members and the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The second part, “an inventory of differences”, shows how the photographers focused on minorities, subcultures and outsiders during the years 1969-1989. The third part, “stories about endings” (1990-today), deals with the ways in which they capture a world in flux and under threat.
We also wanted to show photographs in context: many were published in magazines, newspapers, books, corporate reports. These documents reveal the diverse lives of those pictures, and help to understand how they were used and sold over the years. They bear witness to the various markets operated by Magnum, from magazine pages to gallery walls.
Clara Bouveresse
Clara Bouveresse is a Doctor in Art History at the University of Paris 1. She is Associate Curator of Magnum Manifesto, the exhibition organized for the 70th anniversary of the agency by Clément Chéroux at the International Center of Photography in New York, and co-author of the associated catalog.
Magnum Manifesto is published in five languages by Actes Sud, Thames&Hudson, Blume, Contrasto et Schirmer Mosel.
50€ / $50
http://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/books/magnum-manifesto-hardcover
