For the occasion of their 10th birthday, the photography house Signatures presents Dix sur Dix, Choral “Ten out of Ten, choir – ed”, a story between 45 photographers overlapping with the the words of the writer Marie Desplechin. This exhibition unveils a new space dedicated to creating events, l’Espace des Fabriques, until the 12th of November 2017.
“I supervised a polling station last year, June the 18th, in the Grangeaux – Belles area, in Paris. From 8 in the morning til 8 in the evening, standing up behind the ballot box, I was confronted with living faces on passport photos. Look at a face, look at the photo, then the face again. Another vote.”
This is how Marie Desplechin’s text opens, commissioned by Frédérique Founès and Marie Karsenty, the two founders of Signatures photography house. For their 10th birthday, they have created an event surrounding double interpretation. Between a story and 45 photographs : Dix sur Dix Chorale, the creation of a unique experience. What does photography represent in Marie Desplechin’s life ? What is the mediums role in society ? Answers at the following adresse : 70, Jean-Pierre Timbaud street in Paris.
An echoing narrative
All answers given by the writer are as diverse as they are powerful. The incarnation of life within the body, identity or even time are the varied themes suggested by the writer. They allowed the photographers to answer personally, depending on their feelings and hobbies. Mathieu Farcy chose to question identity through the images of a wounded First World War soldier. While concealing the disfiguration of his face, he manifests his empowering body. For Bénédicte Lassalle, Desplechin’s words evoke questions of generation transmissions, while Philippe Schuller decided to explore the question of beliefs. Whether raising issues on religion, nature or fame, he illustrates the connexion between large spaces and passing time. “The eye of a photographer is a precious instrument for understanding the world of today, history is partially made up of their images“, is what we can read in the catalogue of the exhibition. And while photos and words collide, history can’t be any more beautiful.
© Mathieu Farcy / Signatures
Lila et moi © Bénédicte Lassalle / Signatures
Jesus Lives © Balint Pörneczi / Signatures
© Laurent Monlaü / Signatures
Carole, 2017 © Sébastien Erôme / Signatures
Cover photo : Sirène © Florence Levillain / Signatures
Translated by Molly Sisson
