Monique Jacot

Monique Jacot (1934) is today considered one of the most important Swiss photographers. After completing her studies at the École des arts et métiers in Vevey, Jacot began a career in the press as a photojournalist. Her work has been published widely in Swiss and international publications including Camera, Die Woche, Du, Elle, Geo, Schweizer Illustrierte, Stern and Vogue.

Throughout her career, Monique Jacot has explored different photographic genres. Although known for her photographs taken across the world, she has also meticulously documented aspects of Swiss life, particularly those linked to the female condition. Parallel to her photojournalism, Jacot has produced a large body of work that reflects her artistic research. In recognition of her lifelong contribution to the visual arts, she received the Swiss Grand Award for Design in 2020.

The photographs presented in this exhibition reveal the way the photographer plays with the figure and its doubles. By means of montage and various mirroring effects, Jacot lends her works a poetic, almost dreamlike esthetic. In her photojournalism, she draws parallels between several figures, which can reveal a social commentary at the heart of her images.