Fascinating images that tell a very special story: discover the works of Thomas Demand, the French photographer honored at the Jeu de Paume. From February 14 to May 28, 2023, let yourself be transported by the photo exhibition The Stammering of History, and look at the world with new eyes.
Thomas Demand takes large photographs, which he creates in a very unusual way. The artist actually creates three-dimensional (and life-size!) sculptures, reproducing real scenes and places. He then photographs these stagings, creating a strange sensation, as if the reality shown was not quite true...
The artist plays with truth and reality, building these models that confuse our senses. These seemingly banal images become more and more disturbing each time we observe them.
And when we discover the stories behind these photographs, the works are even more disconcerting. Thomas Demand stages the room that Bill Gates occupied at Harvard, the room where Hitler dodged an assassination attempt, the vault in which missing paintings and sculptures were found by chance... Each photograph immortalizes a moment, an important space in the history of humanity.
These rooms devoid of human presence, sometimes very pure, were the scene of small events that became big. Thomas Demand's special creation technique makes us wonder... What if? What if Bill Gates had not founded Microsoft, and if Pope John Paul II had not preached a message of peace while visiting the Berlin Wall...? The discomfort felt in front of these photographs that imitate reality activates our imagination, and allows us to imagine new realities.
With his series on everyday life, the artist asks other questions, is interested in other events. Seemingly banal, these scenes hide a beauty, a form of humor or poetry... Elements that are not always obvious to grasp: Thomas Demand invites us to slow down, to take the time to see and observe to find the beautiful in what surrounds us. The beautiful... or the strange: true to form, the photographer cannot help but give an almost supernatural atmosphere to these scenes. One thing is certain: you will no longer see the world in the same way!
A fascinating exhibition, to be discovered without delay at the Jeu de Paume!
Dates and Opening Time
From February 14th, 2023 to May 28th, 2023
Location
Jeu de Paume - Concorde
1, place de la Concorde
75008 Paris 8
Prices
Tarif jeune en semaine: €7.5
Tarif réduit: €9
Plein tarif: €12
Official website
jeudepaume.org
