The Musee de l’Élysée of Lausanne will allow one to rediscover the work of Hans Steiner, Swiss photographer of the first half of the 20th century. The exhibition was conceived by Daniel Girardin and Jean-Christophe Blaser, Chief Curator and Curator of the museum, who bring to light via an archive of some 100,000 photographs, the different facets of his work. Born on May 1st, 1907 in Berne, he comes upon photography by chance and initiates himself in the field. In 1932, in association first and then freelance, he moves towards photojournalism and works for Schweizer Radiozeitung, the Berner Woche and the Schweizer Illustrierte Zeitung. In 1937, he had published 119 features.

During the war, his responsibility in the protection of air traffic affects little his photographic activity, but it is his images of the Second World War that bring him to a level of recognition.

After the war, he concentrates on more in-depth features that bring him to Africa and Asia, and are published in Sie + Er, before producing again features for the magazine Die Woche, more recently created. Subjects concerning a great majority of his country and that push him to engage in defending a valley threatened by the construction of a dam.

Chronical of a Modern Life, the title of the exhibition, summarizes quite well the work of this privileged witness to the evolution of Swiss society. It shows equally the touching transformations of the urban landscapes, agriculture and mountains, as well as a more urban vision, including women, sports, entertainment, advertising and daily life. Steiner is not only engaged to life of his native country, but also to aesthetics. This appears overall in the images of industry and architecture marked by the waves of modernity. A certain number of projects are unfortunately not achieved as he died tragically on May 3rd, 1962.

By a selection made primarily from prints during Steiner’s time, and from more recent prints by his numerous contact sheets, the commissioners of the exhibition wanted to focus on the value of Steiner’s work as a photojournalist, the originality of his subjects chosen, and his modern vision.

This exhibition has enabled the promotion of these archives, owned by the Musee de l’Élysée, thanks to their restoration and in showing it in several great European institutions (excluding France), like Fotostiftung de Winterthur, where it will be presented from May 28th until October 9th, 2011, before going to Martigny and to Museo Villa de Cedri de Bellinzona in 2012.
It will be accompanied by the publication of a book in French and German, presenting a selection of 220 photographes and texts grouping together different studies made on the photographer and his time in the army, his relations to Switzerland, the mountains, and a society beginning to focus on consumption…

In addition, a DVD entitled “Hans Steiner: a destiny of photography” will rely on the archives, retracing the path of the photographer and situating him not only in the history of Switzerland but also in that of photography.

Bernard Perrine
BernardPerrine@Le-Photographe.net
Correspondant for The Institut de France

Until May 15th
Musée de l’Elysée
18, avenue de l’Elysée
1014 Lausanne – Switzerland