The man who started our photo project Photo d’Hôtel, Photo d’Auteur (also known as PHPA – or in English, A Hotel Photo, An Artist’s view) tells French photo website www.photographie.com exactly what’s rockin’ his boat at the moment…

photo: JasonW

In two minutes (if you’ll forgive a few Google Translate moments of hilarity-slash-puzzlement), you’ll be able to find out what’s floating the boat (photo-wise) of HPRG general manager Alain Bisotti at the moment, including;

- an exhibition,
- a festival,
- a book,
- two photographers (some light nudity in the second link),
- a website,
- the best photo bookshop in all of Paris,
- PHPA at Art Paris,
- and a scoop!…

Click on the links above, or click – here for the automated Google Translate version in English, and find out why Monsieur Bisotti picked what he picked!

The first large-scale French exposition of the Chinese artist, still forbidden to leave his country and closely watched/menaced by the state.Starting on the same day as the Jeu de Paume’s Berenice Abbott exhibition, Ai Weiwei: Interlacing focuses mostly on the artist’s photos, his documentary work showing the profound changes happening in China at the moment, but also his more spontaneous shots, taken with his telephone. Serious subjects (including his own fate) and some irreverence too then.It’s a shame that this new documentary isn’t programmed though. Looks interesting…

There’s another short piece by the same director on the New York Times site here.

The exhibition Ai Weiwei: Interlacing is at the Jeu de Paume (here) from 21st February – 29th April 2012

Open Tuesday from missay – 9pm, Wednesday – Friday from midday – 7pm and the weekend from 10am – 7pm. Closed Mondays

Admission: 8,50€ / 5,50€

Official museum site: www.jeudepaume.org

Facebook page: ici

Jeu de Paume Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/jeudepaumeparis

Interesting Twitter about Ai Weiwei: www.twitter.com/freeaiww

Twitter hashtag: #AiWeiwei

Steve McCurry‘s photos are seen in some of the world’s finest publications. To celebrate the 2012 edition of In Love With Magnum 2012, the photographer will be holding an exhibition in the salons of La Belle Juliette, and you can even come down and meet him in person…

photo : Steve McCurry / Magnum Photos

We love photography (as well you know by now!), so we’re obviously very honoured to be able to welcome Steve McCurry to La Belle Juliette.

The exhibition of his photos will run from 9th – 20th February 2012 in the salons of the hotel, and Steve will be there in person to sign his latest publication on Saturday 11th February, starting from 7pm, just after the one-day photo studio we told you all about here. Book your portrait session now!

photo : Steve McCurry / Magnum Photos

The Steve McCurry exhibition is at La Belle Juliette (here) from 9th – 20th February 2012. The signing session is on Saturday 11th February, starting from 7pm.

Official hotel site: www.labellejuliette.com

Steve McCurry’s website: www.stevemccurry.com

Steve McCurry’s blog, packed full of lovely photos: http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com

photo : Steve McCurry / Magnum Photos

Inspired by Atget to document the profound change happening to her favourite city (New York), Berenice Abbott (1898-1991) was also Man Ray’s assistant during her time in Paris.

Her photos show a fascinating period in the history of the United States; the architecture of a burgeoning industrial power, the Depression, followed by the country’s search for modernism and its lack of respect for the past. This exhibition show both the diversity and unity of her work.

Triborough Bridge © Berenice Abbott / Commerce Graphics Ltd. Inc.

You’ll be able to view portraits from the start of her career (Marcel Duchamp, Eugène Atget, Man Ray, Cocteau, James Joyce, Sylvia Beach, Gide, Foujita, Max Ernst, Marie Laurencin…), her famous Changing New York project, a photo project dating from 1954 based around Route 1, some elements of which are being shown for the first time, and more conceptual work, commissioned to illustrate the laws of physics.

New York Stock Exchange © Berenice Abbott / Commerce Graphics Ltd. Inc.

A catalogue is also being published to coincide with the exhibition (240 pages, 150 photos, 35€).The Berenice Abbott exhibition is at the Jeu de Paume (here) from 21st February – 29th April 2012

Open Tuesday from midday – 9pm, Wednesday – Friday from midday to 7pm, and weekends from 10am – 7pm. Closed Monday

Admission: 8.50€ / 5.50€

Official site: www.jeudepaume.org

Facebook page (in French): here

Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeudepaumeparis

Jean Cocteau with a revolver © Berenice Abbott / Commerce Graphics Ltd. Inc.

Follow us, if you will, down to the underground to see the real rebels, a world of leather jackets, insanely-thick belt buckles and customised jeans. John Waters is a fan, and should you be…It’s the end of the 1950s. Karlheinz Weinberger (1921-2006) starts taking photos in an undergoudn gay club in Zurich before moving on to follow another subculture; some of the Swiss youth have started creating a rebel look based on their love of Marlon Brando, James Dean and rock ‘n’ roll, only here they don’t just like it, they write their idols’ names on their jeans, stick their photos to their oversized belts, and – above all – take an awful lot of time with their hairdos and accessories.Managing to snap these kids meant being part of their lifestyle, following them around regularly and earning their trust. A lot of dedication and time was needed.

Karlheinz Weinberger’s document of a burgeoning counter-culture is now appreciated not only for its historical importance but also its artistic value. John Waters evangelises for it (here), met the artist back in the day, bought some of his photos and has even written a foreword for a recent book of Weinberger’s work. That’s recommendation enough for us.

Show us what a rebel you can be, and go and see the exhibition!The exhibition of Karlheinz Weinberger’s « The Rebels » is at the Galerie Esther Woerdehoff (here) from 11th February – 17th March 2012

Open Tuesday to Saturday from 2-6pm. Free

Opening party and cocktail Friday 10th February 2012, from 6-10pm – and you’re invited!

Official site: www.ewgalerie.com

Facebook page (mostly in French): here

You can buy books of Karlheinz Weinberger’s photos here.

Click the photo to read the accompanying text and see more work from Cécile Henryon.

As you know, we love photography (and photographers!) at HPRG.
So we are very honoured to be one of the partners of the photo event In Love with Magnum.

photo : Steve McCurry / Magnum Photos

Valentine’s Day, 14th February, is a day for romance, the day to show your love. Each year, couples try their hardest to find that special present that will make their loved one happy.

For Valentine’s Day 2012 and the fourth edition of Magnum Days, Magnum Photos gives you the opportunity to offer a most original gift to your loved one, with an atypical, poetic, romantic, incredible, surprising trail to follow through the heart of Paris, the city of love!

photo : Steve McCurry / Magnum Photos

One-day portrait studios
Saturday 11th February 2012, five famous photographers from the Magnum photo agency – Paolo Pellegrin, Steve McCurry, Christopher Anderson, Bruce Gilden, and one more to be announced – will be setting up their studios for just one day in five luxury hotels in Paris.

During that day, they’ll invite couples into their world to create an unforgettable gift: a portrait together from a famous Magnum photographer.

photo : Steve McCurry / Magnum Photos

The photo studios will be open from 10am – 7pm, and sessions must be booked in advance here.

250€ for a signed A4 portrait
400€ for a signed A3 portrait

Each couple photographed in a hotel can take part in a draw to spend the night of Valentine’s Day at La Belle Juliette, or the night of the 11th February in one of the other hotels taking part in the operation.

photo : Steve McCurry / Magnum Photos

Steve McCurry at La Belle Juliette
Do you remember his photo of a young Afghan girl with incredible, intense eyes? Or his hyper-colourful photos of India?

We are very excited to be able to welcome Steve McCurry to La Belle Juliette, and wanted to make his presence felt for more than just one day. So, an exhibition of his work will be held at the hotel from 9th-20th February 2012. Steve McCurry will also be signing his latest book at La Belle Juliette, on 11th February starting from 7pm.

An event with a heart
This special edition of the Magnum Days, based on the theme of couples and love, coincides with the 20th anniversary of AIDS charity Solidarité Sida. 20% of profits will be donated to the charity.

photo : Steve McCurry / Magnum Photos

French-speakers can have a look at the full press release below. Click the first button bottom left to go into fullscreen mode, or simply click here.

Fifty venerable organisations – libraries, archives, museums – have got together to form ‘the commons‘, an rights-free image bank packed full of interesting stuff.

For example, the photos of Paris are fascinating, with parts of the city that have completely changed…

Paris Exposition: moving sidewalk, Paris, France, 1900. Moving Sidewalk Panorama Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection (S03_06_01_014 image 9893).

We think you really should go and check out the picture of Paris on Flickr, not those taken by today’s visitors, but shots from a century ago or more.

Paris has seen a lot of grand buildings that were later destroyed, especially those that feel after the universal expositions, but the city has also retained a number of iconic monuments that look today much as they did in the early 1900s. The city has nonetheless evolved, seen important events, been drastically remodelled by Baron Haussmann, been occupied by the Nazis, been rocked by riots…

The photos of the big expositions are impressive, especially when you know that not much of their huge constructions remains apart from the Eiffel Tower, le Pont Alexandre III bridge, the Petit Palais and the Grand Palais. In some photos, it’s hard to believe that one is in Paris at all…

Paris Exposition: Champ de Mars and Eiffel Tower, Paris, France, 1900. General view of the Chateau de Mars taken from the Chateau d'Eau; Eiffel Tower prominent in view.. Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection (S03_06_01_015 image 9900).

Paris Exposition: Cambodian Pavilion, Paris, France, 1900. Palace of Cambodia. Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection (S03_06_01_015 image 1934).

Paris Exposition: Russian Pavilion, Paris, France, 1900. The National Pavilion of Russia. It is within the Trocadero Gardens Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection (S03_06_01_014 image 1554).

Paris Exposition: Italian Pavilion, Paris, France, 1900. The Pavilion of Italy located on the Eastern portion of the Quai des Nations. Royal Italian Pavilion. Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection (S03_06_01_014 image 1525).

Paris Exposition: Giralda Tower of Seville, Paris, France, 1900. The Giralda Tower of Seville in the distance. Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection (S03_06_01_015 image 1983).

Paris Exposition: Palace of Electricity, Paris, France, 1900. Interior of the Palais de l'Electricite. Machinery Building. Paris Exposition. Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection (S03_06_01_014 image 1536).

Paris Exposition: Swedish Pavilion, Paris, France, 1900. The Pavilion of Sweden located on the western portion of the Quai des Nations Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection (S03_06_01_014 image 1555).

Paris Exposition: Vieux Paris (Old Paris), Paris, France, 1900. Vieux Paris: restoration of Old Paris Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection (S03_06_01_015 image 2114).

Other photos show everyday, yet extraordinary, events…

Paris -- German Shop smashed by mob , between ca. 1910 and ca. 1915

Paris Fashions, 1912 1912 (date created or published later by Bain)

Barricade at Paris gate, between ca. 1910 and ca. 1915

Taking Taxi from hole in Paris street, between ca. 1910 and ca. 1915

Paris -- Newsboys waiting for "Extras" , between ca. 1910 and ca. 1915

You’ll bump into some celebrities too, like the Statue of Liberty, Salvador Dalí and the sculpture prepared for Oscar Wilde‘s grave, which is still in place today in Père Lachaise and has just been restored…

Digital ID: 1161043. View of the external area of the workshop in Paris, showing construction materials, the head of the Statue of Liberty, and a group of men gathered in front of the left foot of the statue. Fernique, Albert - Photographer. 1883

Portrait of Salvador Dali, Paris. Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964, photographer. 1934 June 16

Monument of Oscar Wilde, between ca. 1910 and ca. 1915

And the area around our hotels is also well represented, with the Hôtel de Cluny (Cluny Museum) covered in lush ivy that is gone today, the Medici fountain in the Luxembourg Garden almost unchanged, and the Pantheon. But hey! What’s that on the right-hand side of the photo? Gosh, it’s the Hôtel du Panthéon! How amusing!

Paris - Hôtel de Cluny L. P. Giraudon (French, established 1877-present). Photograph date: ca. 1877-ca. 1895 Building Date: 1163-1345. Collection: A. D. White Architectural Photographs, Cornell University Library

Paris. Medici Fountain, Gardens of the Palais du Luxembourg. Architect: Salomon de Brosse (French, 1571-1626) Photographer: Bisson Freres (French, 1841-1862) Photograph date: 1857 Garden date: 1611-1629. Collection: A. D. White Architectural Photographs, Cornell University Library

Paris. Panthéon. Architect: Jacques-Germain Soufflot (French, 1713-1780) Photographer: Bisson Freres (French, 1841-1862). Photograph date: 1858 Building Date: 1757-1790. Collection: A. D. White Architectural Photographs, Cornell University Library

There are almost 900 photos to see in all, and wading through them is a wonderful way to see life as it was here 100 years ago. Click the ‘play’ button on the slideshow below, followed by the four arrows bottom right, and travel back in time!

The Commons is here on Flickr.

Two visions of a country, and two approaches to photography…

Paul Strand, landscape near Saltillo

In the autumn of 1932, Paul Strand (1890-1976) left behind him the United States (and a private life in crisis) for Mexico, a country he found « mysterious, dark and dangerous, inhospitable. » He nonetheless remained there for two years, before returning to New York in December 1934.

In 1940, thanks to funding from Virginia Stevens, his new wife, he published « Photographs of Mexico », and in 1951, in the midst of the McCarthy witch hunt, Strand decided to go and live in Orgeval, in France, where he spent the remainder of his life.

Henri Cartier-Bresson, Prostituée, Calle Cuauhtemoctzin, Mexique, 1934

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) travelled to Mexico in July 1934. Despite an aborted initial project, he decided to stay there, saying that he felt a real love for the country. Nicknamed « the little thin-cheeked frenchie » by Lupe Cervantes, his Mexican « fiancée » mexicaine, Cartier-Bresson travelled all over the country with his Leica.

The results of his voyage were shown in New York in April 1935, titled « Documentary and Antigraphic photographs », and it’s in New York that he met Paul Strand through a common love of cinema.

The exhibition at the Fondation Cartier-Bresson displays the two photographers together, covering the same terrain but with different approaches, with 90 black and white prints. The shots by Paul Strand are taken from Spanish, American and Mexican collections; those by Cartier-Bresson, some of which have never been shown before, are from the HCB Foundation’s own archives.

A catalogue is also being published at the end of January 2012 to coincide with the exhibition (Steidl, 35€).

The Henri Cartier-Bresson / Paul Strand — Mexico 1932-1934 exhibition is at the Fondation Cartier-Bresson (herer) until 22nd April 2012

Open from Tuesday – Sunday, 1-6.30pm, and Saturdays from 11am – 6.45pm. Late night opening Wednesdays until 8.30pm. Last ticket 30 minutes before closing.

Admission: 6€ / 4€ (unemployed, under 26 year-old, over 60 year-olds). Free for the late night opening on Wednesdays (6.30-8.30pm)

Official site: www.henricartierbresson.org

A selection of designers and chic brand names show their photographic interpretation of places of love at the Bon Marché department store…

photo: JasonW

The Bon Marché, just a couple of minutes away from La Belle Juliette, likens the exhibition to « a pause of tenderness » with which to start the year.

By some happy coincidence, almost all the particpants have something to sell you… at the Bon Marché!

The Moulin Rouge, a place of love by Fifi Chachnil

But let’s be charitable. With names like Inès de la Fressange, Paul Smith, the Rykiel mother and daughter tag team, and Gilles Jacob (head of the Cannes film festival), we’re at least a little intrigued, and the store is an agreeable way to spend a little time (no purchase necessary).

The Places of Love… exhibition is at the Bon Marché (here) from du 14th January – 12th February 2012, in the fashion department on the 2nd floor

Open every day except Sundays from 10am – 8pm (9pm Thursdays and Fridays).

Free!

More info (in French): here

Facebook page (in French): here