A Prestigious Fair as a Network of Relationships

Paris Photo is, above all, a fair and it is important to perceive it that way. It should not be mistaken for a large curated exhibition; otherwise, disappointment may follow. I try to avoid that trap. That’s why I sometimes look less at the artworks themselves and more at the people flowing around me. It fascinates me. When else does one find oneself among photography enthusiasts from all over the world, elbow-to-elbow in the crowd inside the Grand Palais?

For me, the fair is primarily about encounters. Paris Photo is the moment when a large part of the photographic world gathers here to gauge what resonates, where shifts are happening, and which voices are gaining strength. I don’t think it’s possible to speak of a single dominant trend. There is a clear interest in non-Western authorship, queer perspectives, and, in some cases, various marginalized groups. At the same time, the strong orientation toward narrative continues. Added to this is the ongoing appeal of analogue techniques, an emphasis on materiality, and historical or experimental approaches. At a time when much of visual culture unfolds online, the physical presence of a meticulously crafted work carries ever-increasing weight.

What Resonates Is What Stands Out

Some details of execution and installation approaches are truly precise. In my view, the most successful are those that are strictly selective, visually consistent, and clearly define whom they aim to address. I have long enjoyed following the booths of Persons Projects, Raster Gallery, and Kuckei + Kuckei. This year, Persons Projects presented a selection of established Nordic artists, including women from the Helsinki School circle, and a striking presentation of the Polish artist Zofia Kulik, whose work, according to all indications, secured a significant institutional acquisition. Raster Gallery brought a meticulously constructed collection connecting documentary, performative, and experimental photography across decades, focusing on the relationship between humans and nature in the age of the Anthropocene. The German gallery Kuckei + Kuckei showcased works by Barbara Probst and Lilly Lulay.

One of the strongest exhibitions in the main sector was the unmissable installation by Sophie Ristelhueber at the entrance, presented by the Parisian Galerie Poggi. A selection of works from her entire career stretched across a nearly forty-meter wall. Ristelhueber has long been dedicated to exploring the consequences of conflicts and disasters, though she does not work with traditional reportage imagery. Instead, she examines the traces and scars that history leaves on landscapes and human bodies. In this striking format, the selection acted as a powerful yet sensitive strategy for referencing traumatic events.

This year’s curatorial team consisted exclusively of women. It was reportedly not an intentional decision but rather part of a broader effort to systematically increase the visibility of women authors. Thanks to the long-term Elles x Paris Photo program, the proportion of female artists has risen from twenty percent in 2018 to nearly forty percent. It is a successful strategy for rebalancing representation in a field where disparities have long been palpable.

One of the fair’s most popular sections is, traditionally, the publishers’ stands. I could spend an entire week there and likely leave with a truckload of books. Every publisher offers something worth attention. I have a weakness for the Japanese booths, which present unparalleled print quality or bold design and other inventive details. For those who find the ocean of photobooks overwhelming, the Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards provide an excellent guide to quality. This year, the awards went to Eleonora Agostini, Hicham Benohoud, and the title Generalized Visual Resistance.

Czech Photography and Its Stable Position on the International Art Market

Once again, Czech photography proved its strong position in the international context. Pace Gallery sold a group of works including photographs by Josef Koudelka. Bruce Silverstein reported successful sales of classics such as František Drtikol, Robert Frank, and Dorothea Lange. Among other global names that stood out were Seydou Keïta, Rinko Kawauchi, Shirana Shahbazi, Mohamed Ghazali, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Sibusiso Bheka, and Mari Katayama.

I’m also proud to share the success of the young photographer Viktoriia Tymonova, whom my colleagues and I nominated on behalf of Fotograf Zone for the European talent platform Futures. She was subsequently selected for the prestigious Carte Blanche Students program. Out of six hundred applicants, the jury chose her as one of four finalists. Presentation at the Grand Palais and an exhibition in Paris represent a crucial career milestone for many young talents.

Photography Sales Are on the Rise

Paris Photo is exactly where it wants to be – on top. After the COVID years, which significantly impacted the market, and after last year’s return to the renovated Grand Palais, the fair feels more stable than ever. It is as if it reclaimed the throne last year and settled comfortably onto it this year. Organizers are already looking ahead to next year, when the bicentenary of the invention of photography will further strengthen the fair’s framework and significance.

And returning once more to the beginning: we must remain critical. It’s only fair to add that the fair includes works of a more superficial nature or pieces that rely more on visual impact than on context—those I am not particularly fond of. Yet I am still grateful that this celebration of photography exists, because it continually reminds me of the importance and diversity of art rooted in photography and the moving image.

Text: Markéta Kinterová

IMAGE CAPTIONS

1 | Viktoriia Tymonova with three other talents Carte Blanche, Paris Photo,© Grégoire Grange
2 | Zofia Kulik, Who Conquered the World?, from the series Carpets, silver gelatine print, 300 x 650 cm - 1994Persons Projects
3 | Viktoriia Tymonova with her project We want to know the truth, Paris Photo, Photo: Viktoriia Tymonova Archive
4 | Sophie Ristelhueber, Beyrouth, Résidence des pins Tirage pigmentaire sur papier baryté Fine Art 120 x 86 cm, 1984/2016 Galerie Poggi,  © ADAGP