Photographisme, Klein, Ifert, Zamecznik, Exhibition, Georges Pompidou Centre, Paris, November 8 - January 29 2018

The modern “high-architecture” Georges Pompidou Centre, created in 1977 was commissioned by President Georges Pompidou, to combine art and literature and bring Paris to the forefront of the art and culture scene. Containing the largest public library in Paris, many diverse galleries with a wide range of exhibitions, quirky boutiques and collaborative art spaces, it does just that. Some 40 years later it’s continuing to succeed and stay up to date, bringing an eclectic mix of exhibitions, and a calm space to the centre of Paris, in the vibrant district of Le Marais.

Photographisme, their latest exhibition is no exception. A free-entry, smaller exhibition in the Galerie des photographies, it makes a great addition to a trip to the Pompidou Centre. The photographs that originate in the the two post-war decades of the 1950s and 1960s are still relevant today in bringing together the two art mediums of graphic design and photography. Wojciech Zamecznik wrote in 1961 « What unites graphic design, stage design, photography and cinema is this interest in the new, in the development of both technology and contemporary artistic language » which is still reflected in today’s society. The striking images conjure up intense feelings albeit different for everybody, as the variation in the light patterns, especially in Klein's work, create un trompe de l’œil (an optical illusion).

Make sure you don’t miss both “Études pour l’affiche de la 8ème exposition de la photographie polonaise (1959)” because of it’s hidden elements and high contrast, and “Négatifs” because in a sea of black and white, this tiny injection of colour really stands out.

Free Entry

Georges Pompidou Centre 

Places Georges Pompidou, 75004, Paris 

Opening Hours 

Wednesday - Monday 11.00 - 21.00