The City of Paris invited Gary Zuercher to exhibit 24 of his photographs of the bridges of Paris on the Grilles of the Hôtel de Ville, along the rue de Rivoli, from October 16 to November 30, 2023.
For five years, American photographer Gary Zuercher went out at night with his camera to capture remarkably evocative images of the bridges spanning the Seine. He created black and white photos, rich in details, clear and bright. The photos were taken on film and the prints were made with silver gelatin.
This collection is unique and remarkable. The use of black and white highlights a profusion of details: architectural elements, works of art, neighboring buildings, trees along the banks and lamps drawing trails of light on the water.
This presentation is a partial sample of the 85 photos of the 35 bridges presented in his book, Paris s’illumine: the Bridges of Paris at night. Also available in English under the title: The Glow of Paris: The Bridges of Paris at Night.
Love, marriages and funeral marches; revolution ; all this took place on the bridges that cross the Seine in Paris. The history of these bridges begins before the birth of Christ. In 52 BC, Julius Caesar conquered Paris.
At the birth of the city, the population of Paris was concentrated on the Île de la Cité. The first Parisian bridges served to connect the island to the right and left banks of the Seine. To date, eight bridges connect Île de la Cité to the shores, and a ninth leads to Île Saint-Louis.
The Pont-Neuf, the oldest, was inaugurated by Henri IV in 1607. The Simone de Beauvoir footbridge, inaugurated in 2006, is the most recent, it is the only Parisian bridge honoring a woman. Eleven bridges are classified as historical monuments.
Today, thirty-five bridges cross the Seine between the borders up and downstream of the ring road.
“They are the extension of the streets, the link between the two banks. We cross them on foot, by car, by metro. We see them without looking at them and it’s a shame…” – Monique Marty, Mini-Saga of the bridges of Paris, 1979
Gary Zuercher : Paris s’illumine : Les Ponts de Paris la nuit
from October 16 to November 30, 2023
Les Grilles de l’Hôtel de Ville
29, rue de Rivoli Paris 4e
Gary Zuercher’s photographs will be exhibited, at the same time, at Galerie GADCOLLECTION in Paris.
Galerie GADCOLLECTION
4 Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe
75004 Paris, France
https://www.gadcollection.com/fr/
