The Maison Européenne de la Photographie is offering two new exhibitions. Until March 16, 2014, the MEP is hosting works by David Lynch and Joan Fontcuberta. Both share a disconcerting vision of reality. They mishandle it, transform it, and invite visitors to question what they see. Reality can sometimes be deceptive.
1) David Lynch: from camera to photography
The most talked-about exhibition is that of David Lynch. Renowned filmmaker as well as visual artist, designer and musician, David Lynch is leaving his camera behind for the time of an exhibition. The MEP has given him carte blanche. He imagined little stories around some forty photographs. All in black and white, the images are disturbing.
Fans will find recurring aspects of David Lynch’s universe. A dark, obscure, even intriguing atmosphere. Faceless heads, unusual objects and women’s bodies are highlighted against black backgrounds in the photomontages. A strange, surreal universe that can leave the viewer perplexed. “Small Stories” is a very short, one-storey exhibition that questions the visitor. A filmmaker as enigmatic as ever.
2) Joan Fontcuberta: reality challenged
The other star of the show is contemporary Catalan artist Joan Fontcuberta. Theorist, critic, historian and teacher, he questions the forms of so-called truth. Having lived through the censorship and falsification of information under Franco, Joan Fontcuberta aims to baffle viewers and encourage them to reflect on the notion of truth. With his “Camouflages” exhibition, the artist plays with the manipulation of images. He intrigues us and draws us into a reality that is both plausible and unusual. Camouflage of the author, of the photograph, of reality, but also of truth. Images are traps set for our consciousness. In this exhibition, Joan Fontcuberta brings together his most important projects, inviting the viewer not to place blind trust in photographs.
Joan Fontcuberta’s exhibition is divided into 10 autonomous series. Science, biology, religion and art are all called into question. You can believe in the existence of mermaids, in fake mountain landscapes or discover little-known photographs of Sputnik. But the most delirious room is “Fauna”. Thanks to fake biographies and montages, we believe in the existence of totally unimaginable animals. Spanning 3 floors, this confusing and amusing exhibition invites us to reflect on photographic truth.
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