"She liked to inquire about the person, so she could engage in conversation until the atmosphere relaxed. And suddenly, the person entered into their own silence. And that's what she liked to photograph." - Agnès Sire
Wishing to highlight the pioneering work of women photographers during the 20th century, Photo Elysée presents a significant retrospective dedicated to Martine Franck (1938-2012). Designed by the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, Paris, and co-produced with Photo Elysée, this exhibition, unique in its scope, consists of nearly 140 photographs, some of which are unpublished, largely selected by the photographer during her lifetime.
Beyond this unprecedented perspective of a photographer on her entire body of work, this exhibition and publishing project is based on an in-depth study of Martine Franck's archives, allowing it to stand out from previous retrospectives.
An essential figure in 20th-century photographic art, a member of the VU agency in 1970, co-founder of the Viva agency in 1972, and a member of the Magnum cooperative from 1983, journalist, reporter, and portraitist, Martine Franck came to photography through a personal approach largely linked to her travels in Asia and Europe. When she decided to dedicate herself to a career in photography, she chose a field of activity that still had few women. Nevertheless, she managed to find her place by focusing on subjects rarely addressed by her colleagues, such as the world of work, women, old age, solidarity, and humanitarianism. Over fifty years, independently of any aesthetic movement, she thus built a personal body of work mainly dedicated to the human condition around the world.
By programming this exhibition, Photo Elysée offers the public the opportunity to rediscover a major work that, beyond the diversity of subjects, casts an intense and unique gaze on our time. Numerous archival documents, some unpublished, will enrich the exhibition designed by the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson. They will illustrate, in dedicated showcases, the close ties between Martine Franck and Lausanne, especially her exhibition in 1979 at the Portfolio gallery directed by Jean-Pierre and Marlène Vorlet, or her friendships with Monique Jacot and Jean Genoud.
The exhibition Martine Franck at the Musée de l'Elysée was presented at Photo Elysée from February 20 to May 5, 2019.
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