Vinca Petersen at Pavillon Populaire
Premières fois, Montpellier, France
What is a first image? A proof? A test? An achievement? A failure? An event? A memory, or even a trigger? A playful and erudite journey through two hundred years of major and minor photographic innovations, the exhibition brings together a collection of "first times".
Snapshots, scoops, never-before-seen images, unpublished photos, first photos taken, images on the front page, the oldest images, etc., these "firsts" are of a technical, aesthetic, scientific and societal nature, from the first attempts of the pioneers to the recent images of the birth of stars in the early universe, including the first photographs transmitted remotely, the first performed image, the first photography book, not forgetting the snapshots of the first day of school or even the first "louse" in the history of photography.
At the heart of the exhibition, iconic photographers share their "first photograph" through images, recounting their encounter with photography. Visitors will discover the early experiments and first photographs of Bernard Plossu, Édouard Boubat, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Vinca Petersen, and Martin Parr.
The exhibition highlights the links between contemporary innovations and past experiments. It also recounts the economic and industrial stakes that underpin inventors' research and their strategies for securing recognition and legacy through the protection of their intellectual and commercial property.
From the "photocyclist" to the "phototrap," ingenious patents and quirky trademarks will delight and surprise visitors. The exhibition will also reveal the hidden side of inventions through the controversies that arose in the race for innovation: the dispute over who invented color is a prime example. Tests and trials are also given ample space, not forgetting inventions that ultimately failed.
"Try again, fail again, fail better": these words by Samuel Beckett are one of the central themes of this exhibition designed for all audiences. Clearly, there isn't just one invention of photography, but many.
The exhibition features 200 photographs by more than 50 historical and modern photographers. It includes early works of photography such as Daguerre's first daguerreotype, pioneering images by Niepce from 1826 and 1827, as well as more contemporary works by 20th and 21st century photographers.
Vinca Petersen, Le premier été de ma vie nomade (1994). © Vinca Petersen. Courtesy the artist and Pavillon Populaire.
