Didier Quilain, CEO of Olympus
The partnership with the Rencontres d’Arles, which goes back seven years, is emblematic of Olympus’s involvement with institutions like the Jeu de Paume and the Fondation Cartier-Bresson. It is based on trust. A first meeting ten years ago fell through, probably because it wasn’t the right time. Then François Hébel got back in touch with Olympus when a partnership with another company came to an end, and the decision was made within a week. It was clear from the outset that the budgets wouldn’t necessarily be large, but they would be for the long-term.
The fact that the company is involved in photography can be an advantage or a disadvantage. Obviously, Olympus never interferes at an editorial level, but it is present, and is there to listen in difficult times. As far as the impact inside the company is concerned, in addition to the exhibitions held in company spaces, there can be internships, the publications of photographer’s work in internal documents.
