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Movie Theaters, the forgotten palaces of cinema – a new photo exhibition by Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre

Photographers Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre search out old cinemas that are in a poor state of repair, most dating from the 20s and 30s, and take haunting photos…


The project started in 2001 and is far from finished, but these two photographers are obsessed with dilapidated buildings. Starting in the New York area, they have found a number of old cinemas that have not stood the test of time. Many cinemas did not survive the introduction of TV in the early 20th Century, or video in the 80s. Others became porno cinemas or were divided up to be used as multiplexes. Those that remained became discotheques or churches, or were used as storage spaces for the commerces that used the lobby for selling purposes. And a few were just left to rot.

The Cédille Gallery will be showing a selection of these beautiful, haunting photographs that question how we treat architecture, what should be saved and what should be forgotten, what we value and how those values change over time.

Here’s all the essential information for the Movie Theaters photo exhibition at the Cédille Gallery

Where: Cédille (Naço) Gallery, 38 rue des Citeaux, Paris 12th arrondissement. Métro Faidherbe-Chaligny (line 8)
When: 31st January – 16th March 2008
Opening hours: Thursday – Saturday, 2 – 6pm, or by appointment on +33 (0)1 40 09 17 69
Admission: duh, it’s free!
Official photographers’ site: (with other excellent photos) here. Good stuff on their blog too.


Bigger map here