Paris turns its lens to le Grand Palais to kick off Paris Photo 2019
All eyes are on Paris Photo, the French capital’s annual ode to photography that kicked off on Wednesday night at Le Grand Palais. The 23rd edition of The International Fine Art Photography Fair brings together 180 galleries exhibiting in the main section and 33 book publishers to celebrate the best of photography in all its forms. Big names in photography are on display like Juergen Teller, Zanele Muholi, Man Ray and Roger Ballen, but the Fair is also using its platform to highlight young, up-and-coming talents in its Curiosa section. On Wednesday, modern masters and young talents mingled with image enthusiasts for the inaugural evening of what will be four full days of colorful – and black-and-white – programming including curated exhibitions, awards, conversations with curators, artists, collectors, and critics, book signings and special events exploring the unique history of the medium. The Fair’s “In Paris during Paris Photo” program also includes a bevy of significant works scattered throughout Paris, arguably one of the world’s most photogenic cities itself. Even in the age of Instagram and Snapchat, this Fair dedicated to the medium of photography is still relevant. This year’s main section includes 35 new galleries and 15 exhibiting in Paris for the first time. Timely themes like climate change and technology are also prevalent among the hundreds of thousands of photos on display. There’s no “like” button or comments section on any of them, but visitors can purchase the works. During its last foray at Le Grand Palais this year before it closes for renovations, Paris Photo played host to big names in photography and culture including Aure Atika, Suzanne Tarasieve, Juergen Teller, Diane Pernet, Nathalie Obadia, Michèle Lamy, Yvon Lambert and more. The Fair will head across the Atlantic for Paris Photo New York, its first-ever event in the Big Apple. Paris Photo runs from November 7th-10th.
