An idea, good or bad, doesn’t just appear out of thin air. This collective project was born of a combination of unforeseen events, which it would be boring to go into too much detail about. Let’s quickly summarize. A Parisian visit to the BNF Richelieu, whose restoration work was recently completed, inspired the project’s theme: books and reading. The idea was submitted to, and validated by, a group of photographers organized according to a rather unusual model (see below). We were offered the opportunity to exhibit in a prestigious venue as part of a larger photography-related event. All that’s left is to get to work. What more could you ask for?
This is precisely where the story takes an unexpected turn. All the members of the group have already had a fair amount of experience of photographic exhibitions, and all have experienced the frustration of “lightning” visits from viewers spending a few short seconds in front of each photograph without letting their gaze penetrate further into the image on offer. Far from being content with the traditional “I like what you do”, we’ve all experienced the desire to answer questions that are all too rarely asked, to receive in return for the work produced the expression of the feelings felt by those who have just looked at it. What can be done to facilitate exchanges and encourage viewers to “take their time”?
One of the group members came up with a suggestion that not only represented a possible solution to this problem, but actually broadened the concept of the photographic exhibition: “Since we’re going to be exhibiting photos on the theme of Books and Reading, instead of hanging photos on the walls, why not produce a photo book printed in several copies and made available to visitors? This “mise en abyme” idea was immediately adopted, despite the minor risks involved. The deadlines were tight, the book required a significant investment beforehand, unusual for exhibitions organized by amateurs, and it would be necessary, alongside the photographic work and the production of the book, to think about the layout of the room so that visitors could consult the work in comfortable conditions, take the time to “read” the photos in the book, but also to read the texts that would be inserted, while enjoying a coffee or tea and chatting with the authors. All this in just 3 months.
It was a daring gamble, but it paid off, thanks to the smooth running of the group, the goodwill of the technical teams and venue managers, and the commercial support of Saal Digital, the printer we chose to produce the book.
And the result? We have to say that this unusual proposal for a photo exhibition worked perfectly. Our many visitors took the time to sit down (for a long time) to consult the book and to chat with the authors, many expressed their surprise and satisfaction at this new approach, contacts were made, comments were numerous… In short, the week was rich, pleasant and motivating.
At a time when the photo book is asserting itself as one of the most obvious avenues for artistic or documentary photographic expression, when many doors are closing and the excesses of technology threaten, it’s reassuring to see that such an initiative has been welcomed by the public. This success opens up new perspectives and encourages us to continue along this path. For this experiment, only one book was produced, and the financial risk was limited. We can now imagine an exhibition of the same form, presenting several books on a larger surface, open to other players in the world of photography (clubs, publishers, professionals…). This brings us to the idea of a “photo book fair”, which is nothing new in the world of professional publishing, but has yet to emerge in the world of so-called “amateur” photography (whose boundaries with the professional world are becoming increasingly blurred). This is undoubtedly an avenue to be explored, and one that could prove rich in new possibilities.
A few more details…
The exhibition took place in April 2023 at the Grange aux Dîmes in Samoreau (Seine-et-Marne – France) as part of a wider event devoted to vintage cameras, old photographic techniques and the restoration of old books.
The project was carried out by 10 members of the “Le Salon” group, whose modus operandi is set out in a charter accessible via this link. Le Salon” is an informal group. It is neither an association, nor a photo club, nor a professional group. In fact, it’s simply an open space dedicated to photography. It operates on an invitation-only basis. The last page of the book gives more detailed information on the people involved in this project
The book model is available hereThis is a partial version, with all photos subject to unlicensed image rights removed, in particular photos of children. Around fifty copies of the book were printed by Saal Digital, who granted us a substantial discount for this project. The print quality is superb, and delivery times extremely short. The chosen book model imposed a few minor technical constraints, which didn’t get in the way.
Patrick Philippot
Samoreau, July 17, 2023
