Claude Nori, founder of the magazine Contrejour, and of the eponymous publishing house, played an important part in the French photography scene. This exhibition, devoted to his work as a publisher, was first presented at the Rencontres d’Arles 2012. My role has been to transfer the exhibition to the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP), like a film editor faced with a selection of rushes who has to put together an aesthetic object while respecting certain interpretations and rhythms. I raised with Claude Nori the idea to add a few books he published to the exhibition, books that, for me, are a part of the history of photography. To avoid the dry and difficult character of other exhibitions on photography books, I tried to make the books on display resonate with series of photographs . The guiding principle was to present images that are both in the selected works and in the collection of the MEP.
The exhibition opens with the first book published by Contrejour, Claud Nori’s Les Lunettes (1976). Unable to find a publisher, he was inspired to create his own publishing house. The second book is a landmark in the history of photography, Bernard Plossu’s trip to Mexico in 1965 and 1966, first published in 1979 and again in 1982.
Read the full text of Irène Attinger’s article in the French version of Le Journal.
Claude Nori – Editeur et Photographe
From September 5th to november 4th, 2012
Maison Européenne de la Photographie
5/7, rue de Fourcy
75004 Paris – France
Wednesday – Sunday : 11am – 8pm
