After exhibitions at ICP in New York, Arles in 2011, Barcelona, Bilbao and Madrid, the Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme (Mahj) in Paris is now welcoming the legendary Mexican Suitcase. Mysteriously and miraculously rediscovered in 2007, the suitcase contained 4500 negatives taken from 1936 to 1939 by Robert Capa, Gerda Taro and Chim (David Seymour) during the Spanish Civil War. The negatives were subjected to a detailed analysis before Cynthia Young conceived this exhibition (and the accompanying book), featuring 70 quality vintage and inkjet prints, enlarged contact sheets, film rolls found in canisters, the canisters themselves, and two of the notebooks of contact prints made in Spain by Capa, Taro and Chim. They offer great insight into the topics that interested the photographers during this period. The exhibition is laid out in 32 sections for as many reports, from a land reform meeting near Badajoz in April - May 1936 and French internment camps in March 1939, to the Madrid trenches in 1937 and the Battle of Rio Segre in 1938.

Patrick Bouchain, who designed the layout for the Paris exhibition, was faced with the challenge of adapting the space, which is divided into small rooms across different floors, to the linear story told by the exhibition. With the curator’s approval, Bouchain decided to split the show between wall-mounted items and displays on museum floor. On the wall are historical documents like letters, telegrams, newspapers and contact sheets, while mounted on easels are large prints with banners signaling where the photograph was taken.

Bernard Perrine

EXHIBITION

"La valise mexicaine"
Capa, Taro, Chim
Until June 30th, 2013
Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme
Hôtel de Saint Aignan
71 rue du Temple
75003 Paris
France
Monday - Friday 11am - 6pm. Sunday 10am - 6pm
Inquiries : +33 (0)1 53 01 86 65 - info@mahj.org

CONFERENCES

Capa, Taro, Chim
On Wednesday, March 20 at 19:30, there will be a roundtable discussion about several works by Magnum photographers, including Chim, with Michel Lefebvre, co-author of a book about Robert Capa, and Irme Schaber, author of a book about Gerba Taro. The discussion will be moderated by François Hébel.

"Robert Capa et l'Agence Magnum"
With John Morris, Jimmy Fox, Lorenza Bravetta
Moderator: Bernard Lebrun.
Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013 at 8pm

Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme
Hôtel de Saint Aignan
71 rue du Temple
75003 Paris
France
Inquiries : +33 (0)1 53 01 86 48 - reservation@mahj.org