“Paris 1944, a week in August” is the first exhibition of Agence France-Presse (AFP), which is opening its gallery dedicated to its photographs, at its headquarters, 9 place de la Bourse. This exhibition is dedicated to the Liberation of the capital, the 80th anniversary of which is being commemorated. It will be open to the public from Wednesday to Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and runs until November 2.
“As early as September 16, 1940, the Germans had forbidden Parisians from taking photos outside, even from their balconies. So, when Paris was liberated, Parisians who had cameras and film went out and documented what they saw,” explains Christophe Calais, editorial manager of AFP’s special photo projects. “What we propose in this exhibition is a dialogue between two perspectives,” explains the co-curator.
“What is fabulous” in these photos, continues Christophe Calais, “is the difference in intention and emotion”. “The reporters offer very framed photos, very informative, very clean, as they say in the jargon. For amateurs, sometimes, it is a little less clear, it is a little less well composed, but the emotion is very present.”
Several free exhibitions each year
In the longer term, the gallery will present free exhibitions several times a year, with “the ambition of bringing to the public the exceptional riches of the agency’s photographic collection that too often lie dormant in drawers”, explains Marielle Eudes, its director of special photo projects. “With 6 million silver documents, including 350,000 glass plates, and some 20 million digital documents, the AFP photographic collection constitutes a historical, heritage and photographic treasure that must be opened to all”, she adds.
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