What a great idea, changing all the the exhibitions at once! The perfect excuse to go back and explore this great photography museum…

photo (c) Yury Toroptsov

I’d forgotten how big the Maison Européenne de la Photographie was. I have to admit, it’s probably two years since I last went. On five different levels in the heart of the Marais, it’s an essential stop for anyone who loves photography, and even if you’ve been before, now is the perfect time to go back; all the temporary exhibitions have just been changed, making a visit like a whole new experience! Here’s what’s on offer…

Peter Knapp

Peter Knapp was artistic director for Elle for numerous years, but he is also a photographer and filmmaker. Th exhibition shows some of his fashion and publicity work, and you can even meet the man himself on 30th January (more info here).

Shoji Ueda

Best known for his photos of dunes, Shoki Ueda died in 2000 aged 77, after having taken mostly black & white photographs over most of his lifetime. In his native Japan he is considered one of the most brilliant photographers of the century, and a museum has even been named after him.

Edouard Boubat

Considered one of the best known French photographers, Edouard Boubat calls himself a “peace correspondent”, and it’s true that a certain humanism transpires from his photos. He also worked a lot for an influential magazine called Réalités that was published in the 1950s and 60s. An exhibition room is given over to displays of the various cover photos and lushly-illustrated articles.

Jean-Christophe Ballot

Jean-Christophe Ballot’s training in architecture shows in his photos, or “urban portraits” as he calls them. The exhibition shows large-format photos both in black and white and colour, spanning twenty years of globetrotting.

Yury Toroptsov
We’ve mentioned before that Yury is a friend of ours, and we were really pleased that he had won the chance to be exposed along the famous names mentioned above. Read all about how he did it here.

Here’s all the essential information for the new exhibitions at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie

When: all exhibitions run from 16th January to 30th March 2008
Where: Maison Européenne de la Photographie, 5/7 rue de Fourcy, Paris 4th arrondissement. Métro Saint Paul (line 1) or Pont-Marie (line 7). Bus n°s 67, 69, 96 & 76
Opening hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 11am – 8pm. Last ticket at 7.30pm
Entrance price: 6 euros adults, 3 euros concessions
But I’m a starving artist!: go on a Wednesday after 5pm: it’s free!
Official site: here

Bigger map here