If you’ve always wanted to witness a stampede, Paris Photo 2013 was a fine opportunity to do so: it felt more like a cattle fair than art fair. But one must look past the crush of men and women towards the crush of photography on display. As with every event of its kind, we only see fragments of bodies of work: one, two, three, sometimes five photographs per artist. This is how it works: the galleries are there to lure viewers in and sell them something. So even if it’s impossible to let oneself be carried away entirely by a photographer’s world and work, at least it’s possible to approach it. And the fair also affords the opportunity to discover several photographers at once.
On the newer end of the spectrum, American photographer Duane Michals’ latest works are a must-see at Esther Woerdehoff. Then I would head to the Finnish gallery TaiK Persons to be lulled by Estonian photographer Iveta Vaivode. At Polka, Ethan Levitas is unveiling a part of his most recent series, Photographs in 3 Acts, in which he redefines the configuration of public space through photography. At the In Camera gallery, a young Russian, Evgenia Arbugaeva, shows us her hometown through a series of dreamlike images. Across the way is the Galerie Lumière des Roses and its two charming managers, Marion and Philippe Jacquier, who are exhibiting several amazing works by unknown photographers, and affordable at under 2000 euros. Hats off to the person who bought this photo sequence showing the expressions of a woman on LSD.
For the more famous works on view, it’s hard not to have a soft spot for the African artists at the Galerie Magnin-A —Ojeikere J.D Okhai, Seydou Keita, Malick Sidibé—and for the incredible Swedish trio of Stromholm/Engstrom/Petersen at VU, along with Joel Meyerowitz and Vivian Maier, last seen at the enormous show at the Howard Greenberg gallery in New York. He’s one of America’s most prestigious gallery owners, but the low prices keep the work accessible to collectors who are just starting out.
If you’re looking for the big names of the photo world, all you have to do is follow the crowd. Major photographers are treated like movie stars here. Elliott Erwitt was blinded by camera flashes at his arrival, and there was a never-ending line to have one’s book signed by Sebastiao Salgado at Polka. And if you can’t stand the frenzy, nothing is more soothing than spending some time alone with a book, the only thing available here for under 50 euros. Be sure to check out what’s available from Actes Sud, MACK and Xavier Barral.
