France celebrates photography bicentenary with major exhibition and funding

To mark the bicentenary of the invention of photography by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, France is launching major cultural initiatives involving both large-scale exhibitions and academic support.

In Paris, the Pinault Collection is hosting an exhibition titled ‘Remember me’ at the former Bourse de Commerce. The showcase features approximately 700 works by over 70 artists, including iconic images such as Henri Cartier-Bresson’s ‘Derrière la gare Saint-Lazare’, Robert Capa’s ‘The Falling Soldier’, and Robert Doisneau’s ‘Le baiser de l’hôtel de ville’. The exhibition runs from October 7 to January 18.

Complementing the visual displays, the French Ministry of Culture, in partnership with the Centre national du livre, has established a dedicated fund to support photography books. A total of 180,000 euros has been allocated to 32 projects, covering new publications, translations, and historical research. These projects range from studies on the origins of the medium to contemporary perspectives on migration and queer identities in photography.