Paris-Sana
France is revisiting the history of photography through exhibitions that bring together rare images and contemporary works, in celebration of the second century of this art form that began with Nicéphore Niépce in 1827 with the oldest known photograph, after exposing the light-sensitive plate to light for about ten hours. These exhibitions reveal the transformation of this art from recording reality to expressing identity, memory, and social changes.
In the same context, the French newspaper Le Monde chose, in a report published today, Sunday, 12 exhibitions taking place in different French cities as part of the celebration of the second century of photography, presenting experiences ranging from the beginnings of this art to its contemporary practices, reflecting the importance of this cultural event at the national and international levels.
From the Archive to Contemporary Experiments
These exhibitions are part of a national and international program launched by the French Ministry of Culture under the title "Two Hundred Years of Photography... Let's Celebrate the Diversity of Views," running from September 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027, and including more than a thousand initiatives and projects, exploring the place of photography in cultural, scientific, and social history.
The National Library of France is recalling a part of the history of Japanese photography through an exhibition featuring about 250 photographs and about 50 rare books, distributed between the post-World War II period and contemporary experiments, where these images reveal the presence of nature, traditions, daily life, and wars in the works of photographers from different generations.
At the Bourse de Commerce in Paris, the François Pinault Photography Collection opens its doors to the public through the exhibition "Remember Me," which brings together about 700 works by more than 70 artists, selected from a collection of nearly 8,000 works, ranging from historical photography to contemporary experiments, with the participation of prominent names such as Robert Capa, Alfred Stieglitz, André Kertész, Claude Cahun, and Cindy Sherman.
The Louvre in the Mirror of the Camera
The Louvre Museum grants the photographic image space to rediscover its history from different angles, through the "Louvre Photo" exhibition, which includes more than 300 images taken inside the museum, documenting its halls, artistic works, visitors, staff, and corners unknown to the public. The French event also includes exhibitions recalling the works of photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson, Irving Penn, Martin Parr, and Susan Meiselas, along with experiments linking photography to painting and contemporary art.
Between the first image that required hours of light exposure and the digital image that travels today in moments, the celebration of 200 years of photography reveals the journey of an art that did not stop at recording what the eye sees, but became a tool for understanding the world, preserving its faces and transformations, and questioning the narratives that shape its memory.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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