During the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation gala on Monday, November 4, Rachida Dati announced a major national celebration for the 200 years of the invention of photography.
We do not know precisely when Nicéphore Niépce had this flash of genius. Historians estimate that it was between 1826 and 1827 that the French engineer produced the first photograph in history, entitled Point of view taken from a window of the Gras property in Saint-Loup-de-Varennes. It is therefore almost the bicentenary of the invention of photography. On this occasion, Rachida Dati, the Minister of Culture, announced Monday, November 4, during the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation gala, that “this major art in France” will be celebrated with great fanfare in 2026 and 2027.
All photographic genres will be in the spotlight, ranging “from daguerreotype to selfie” assures the minister who also wishes “show the diversity of the most contemporary creation”. In the same vein, the tenant of rue de Valois announced the creation of a scientific committee made up of curators and historians specializing in photography, in charge of supervising the event. This will be chaired by Dominique de Font-Reault, curator at the Louvre Museum and historian of photography,
Several exhibitions and a national order planned
The bicentenary should begin with a “great exhibition-manifesto”which will open in the fall of 2026 at the Grand Palais, specifies a press release from the Ministry of Culture published Tuesday, November 5. Another event will be dedicated to “the figure of Nicéphore Niépce” and will take place in the museum in his name, in Chalon-sur-Saône, among other numerous artistic events which should take place across the country.
Born in Chalon-sur-Saône, Rachida Dati has shown herself to be sensitive to the history of photography. During the gala, she shared her memories, remembering that as a child she had photographed the monument dedicated to Nicéphore Niépce with her father during walks in her hometown. In front of the elite gathered before the launch of the fair, the minister was also delighted with the professionalism of the sector.
Furthermore, “a call has been launched for a large national order”which will be “led by the National Center for Visual Arts” specifies the official statement. “Fifteen photographers will be selected to carry out their projects, which will question the medium in all its dimensions, from its primitive times to the most contemporary experiments.”
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