This exhibition celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Levallois Award was presented at the École Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie, 16 rue des Arènes, from July 1 to 7, 2019, highlighting the laureates of the first decade.
It was designed from the collection of photographs built up over the years. The diversity of the approaches, as much by the plastic treatment as in the choice of the subjects, highlighted the abundance and the opening of the proposals that the contemporary photography sweeps.
The prints on display were those that make up the collection of the Levallois Award, they were produced under the control of the authors and, in fact, give a perfect image of their commitment and their artistic bias. The prints of Pierre-Elie de Pibrac, who have just joined the collection, were also shown, as well as a preview, of the photographs of the winner 2019.
Were exhibited:
Marvi Lacar A journey through Avignon USA 2008
Shira Igell In memory of Israel 2009
Virginie Terrasse Palestine how? France 2010
Alexander Gronsky Mountains & Waters Russia 2011
Sophie Jung Easy jet Luxembourg 2012
Max Pinckers The Fourth Wall Belgium 2013
Esther Teichmann Fractal Scars, Salt Water and Tears Germany 2014
Tom Callemin Index Belgium 2015
Vasantha Yogananthan A Myth of Two Souls, Early Times (Chapter 1) France 2016
Bieke Depoorter As it may be France 2017
Pierre-Élie of Pibrac Desmemoria, or the forgotten of the revolutionary dream France 2018
Sara Imloul Passages France 2019
The words of the artistic directors
Levallois Award, 10 years! A photographic collection
This exhibition, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Levallois Award, highlights the winners of the first decade, as well as the laureates 2018 and 2019, under the artistic direction of Galerie Le Réverbère. It is designed from the collection of photographs built up over the years.
The exposure of the 12 laureates of the Levallois Award is a high-risk exercise, it is not specifically related to that of Levallois, the risk would be the same for any other price. A quick vision can make us think that it would be enough to perform a scenographic spin and the cat would be in the bag. But to produce appearance to internalize the absence remains a dupe market.
To give body and make sense, this exhibition, consisting of the works of 12 photographers grouped by chance, takes the party to set in motion a thought that, contact with the photographs, organizes presence. This presence, the spectator will establish by his perception and through it, will walk through forms and subjects sometimes opposite. His eye will recognize distinct sign systems for each photographer. The discovery of the laureates, in a chronological setting, does not seek to create false coherences, it rather emphasizes the diversity of the proposals.
The reference to the gray chart, well known to photographers, is the link between each laureate. This variation is a metaphor for the interstice that separates everyone while covering the broad fields of contemporary photography.
As for any birthday, a more or less heterogeneous set of personalities rub shoulders, creating echolalias. what is left is room for alchemy and the murmur of time …
To accompany this murmur, a video journey synthesizes this decade by browsing the works in the collection.
Catherine Dérioz et Jacques Damez — Galerie Le Réverbère
