From December 21, 2011 to January 8, 2012, the Maison européenne de la photographie (MEP) is offering two exhibitions: Profils perdus by Marc Fumaroli and Avec mes meilleurs vœux (With my Best Wishes) by Andreas Mahl.

In Profils perdus, Marc Fumaroli shows a series of portraits taken during his travels. He compares them to illustrious photographic profiles selected from the MEP archives, including Alain Fischer for his use of “Italian light”, and Hiro for his lighting and graphics. A member of the Académie Française, specialist in 16th and 17th century European societies, Fumaroli also wrote the exhibition text.

“In painting, as in sculpture, a portrait requires time and patience. From Fayoum to Cézanne, many monumental portraits attest to the time the artists devoted to capturing these faces.

Often in photography, the portrait attempts to rival sculpture or painting. The photographer creates a pose, takes many pictures, imagines, idolizes. Platonizes. I took the opposite direction, which I feel is more adapted to the genius of photography’s instantaneous nature. I followed in the footsteps of the great masters not working in portraits. I captured, by surprise, around the world, faces, attitudes, complicit neighbors, anonymous glances whose fleeting frailty guarantees their authenticity. “

The Andreas Mahl exhibition, Avec mes meilleurs vœux, is adapted to the season, offering a retrospective of the last 30 years of Mahl’s greeting cards. Each year featured a self-portrait taken with a Polaroid SX 70. Only a rare few received the precious card.
Andreas Mahl is also exposing “dédoublements” at the neighboring Binôme gallery.

Bernard Perrine
Bernard.Perrine1@orange.fr

Exhibitions

Marc Fumaroli "Profils perdus"
Andreas Mahl "Avec nos meilleurs vœux"
From December 21, 2011 to January 8, 2012
Also until January 8, 2012
L'âge d'or de la photographie albanaise
Rome + Klein photographies 1956-1960.
Martine Franck "Venus d'ailleurs"
Fernanda Magalhes, Rogério Reis et Edu Simoes, 3 photographes de FotoRio.

Maison Européenne de la Photographie
5-7 rue de Fourcy
75004 Paris
+33 (0)1 44 78 75 00

Andreas Mahl "dédoublements"
Until January 8, 2012
Galerie binôme
19 rue Charlemagne
75004 Paris
info@galeriebinome.com