Open Books

Open Books gradually reveals the thread that weaves itself through the pages. At the centre of the show, Photo Elysée and EPFL+ECAL Lab present an interactive, immersive device devoted to digital books. This experimental approach uses emerging technologies combined with design research to offer a new form of digital exhibition.

Based on the constitutive elements of the book such as the distribution of images and text, the dominant colours or the graphic design, this project aims to plunge the public into the heart of the construction of photographic books and enable them to discover by association other works from the museum’s collection. This research also explores how artificial intelligence can be used for cultural content rather than attempting to replace human beings.

The printed page is a source of inspiration and a medium for contemporary artists. Photo Elysée has invited Carmen Winant to present The Fall of The Modern Empire.

Known for her collages and her work focusing on the representation of women, the artist has printed photos of women giving birth onto pages of the New York Times. The images blend into one another, mingling with the articles and merging in a single shot. For each image, Winant seeks out interesting political and aesthetic harmonies with a page from the newspaper. These fusions cancel out hierarchies, leaving only the relationships between the images.

With this series, the artist tells a story about the way in which women represent themselves and each other. This work is accompanied by a selection of feminist books proposed by Carmen Winant which complements Photo Elysée's library.

Some images contained in the exhibition, in the books and the interactive installation may shock the sensibilities of the public.