Through October 1, 2017, the Mémorial de Verdun’s new exhibition is highlighting “War Photographers”, considering these people who leave, cameras in hand, into the heart of conflict. Are they silent witnesses who can only show what they see? What meaning do they give to their missions?
Since the 1850s, men left for the heart of wars and brought back photographs. A desire to document war was born, different from traditional graphics and pictorial representations. These photographers brought to light images of war that went previously unseen, fragments of an invisible reality.
The exhibition develops chronologically around sixteen photographers through the wars covered by their work, from the Crimean War (1855) to the present day. The tension between their identities as artists, as missioned witnesses, and even as involved players is emphasized, trying to go beyond fame and media acclaim. The war photographers maintained special relationships with those who had hired them, with the subjects of their photography, and with those who viewed their work. These aspects still greatly influence the meaning of their missions and the results of their work today. Moreover, evolving photographic techniques and cameras create constraints for the photographers while also opening up a field of new possibilities. The profession of war photography changes with each war.
The exhibition is presenting photographic works (original proofs and reproductions) and press media. It places the photographic equipment used by successive generations of photographers throughout the installation to show the evolutions of the practice. Personal items, documents, and portraits bring to life the selected photographers: Roger Fenton, Mathew Brady, Felice Beato, Jimmy Hare, Gilles Caron, Patrick Baz, Véronique de Viguerie, and even Edouard Elias.
Concluding the exhibition is an installation of twenty-four portraits of contemporary war photographers taken by director and photographer Alizé Le Maoult. It is a tribute to these men and women who bear witness to what they have seen. These portraits were taken with a Leica, full-frontal with their backs to the wall, so that the eyes of the photographers are faced with those of the viewers.
War Photographers: 160 Years through the Lens
April 28 – October 1, 2017
Mémorial de Verdun
1 Avenue du Corps Européen
55100 Fleury-devant-Douaumont
France
