Open to the universe of photography and contemporary images since 1998, the Petit Palais this autumn presents an exhibition on the theme of women in India. This event will take place with the support of Reporters Without Borders and BNP Paribas as it celebrates 150 years of presence in India (1860-2010).
The exhibition, entitled They transform India, includes a selection of 120 photographs carried out by photographers from Magnum Photos. The six photographers; Olivia Arthur, Martine Franck, Raghu Raï, Alessandra Sanguinetti, Alex Webb and Patrick Zachmann, have each chosen to illustrate a different subject. Themes as varied as micro-credits and self-help groups (Martine Franck), access by women to education (Olivia Arthur) or the place of women in the film industry (Alessandra Sanguinetti) are considered.
The six reportages have a single point in common: each one enables the discovery of how women contribute to “change the world”: progressively India is developing and is granting each day a more significant place to women. Now, women can occupy male positions and be taxi drivers, chefs or security guards, as demonstrated in the reportage by Alex Webb. Since the law passed by the Indian Parliament in 1992, they also have reserved access to the panchayats (town councils), and in his reportage, Patrick Zachmann illustrates how this measure has given women a decisive influence within local government.
The photographs of Raghu Raï pay homage to major female figures in contemporary India such as Anu Aga or Ela Bhatt. They illustrate, by means of a series of portraits, the actions of these women – writers, lawyers or heads of business – who play a decisive role in the development of Indian society.
Continuing a partnership with the Petit Palais initiated in 2010 with the exhibition Pierre and Alexandra Boulat, 100 photographs for the freedom of the press, in September 2011, Reporters Without Borders will publish an album entitled They transform India. 100 photographs for the freedom of the press, from which all proceeds will go to the association.
