PhotoSaintGermain- Les 40 ans de la galerie, de Mario Giacomelli à Antoine Schneck

20 photographers celebrate the 40th anniversary of the gallery, from Mario Giacomelli to Antoine Schneck

On the occasion of its 40 years, Galerie Berthet-Aittouarès brings together in an exhibition the twenty photographers who have accompanied its history. Presented within the framework of PhotoSaintGermain and the celebration of the bicentenary of photography, this event testifies to the diversity of writing and visions championed by the gallery. Founded in 1986 by Michèle Aittouarès, she was joined in 2000 by her daughter Odile, who created a sector dedicated to photography. With rigor, passion, and freedom, they helped establish the gallery in the photographic landscape, notably presenting John Craven, Mario Giacomelli, Malick Sidibé, Jean Dieuzaide, Antoine Schneck, Letizia Battaglia, Franco Zecchin. From Mario Giacomelli to Antoine Schneck, the exhibition offers a journey from the 1950s to the present day. It reveals choices guided by curiosity and an interest in multiple photographic practices: fine art and graphic photography, like that of Giacomelli, in dialogue with painting, but also humanist and socially engaged photography, embodied by Dieuzaide or Battaglia. As art historian Pierre Wat writes regarding the approach of Michèle and Odile Aittouarès: "I follow in the footsteps of this shared taste: seeking in art the trace of humanity."

The work conducted over several years on the oeuvre of these artists – solo exhibitions, publications, video features – introduced some of them and consolidated the renown of others, conferring genuine expertise upon the gallery.

This exhibition takes place within the framework of the PhotoSaintGermain festival. Organized in the heart of Paris, in the iconic Saint‐Germain‐des‐Prés neighborhood, PhotoSaintGermain is an annual festival dedicated to promoting photographic creation.

PhotoSaintGermain offers a free and freely accessible exhibition tour across a selection of museums, cultural centers, galleries, and bookstores on the Left Bank. This tour highlights a sharp and eclectic program designed by associated galleries, as well as several original exhibitions and novel projects imagined and produced by the festival.