This spring, the Place de la Concorde becomes a genuine citizen’s agora. In Paris’s 8th arrondissement, Yann Arthus-Bertrand and the GoodPlanet Foundation present "Vivre Ensemble", a free, non-ticketed, open-access artistic, cultural and civic event running from April 11 to May 10, 2026. The program features an outdoor photo exhibition, a temporary photo studio designed by Renzo Piano, and a rich lineup of discussions and activities accessible to everyone.
At the heart of the project, the exhibition France, a Family Album presents hundreds of portraits captured over more than three decades by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, across France. Each image features French men and women in their workwear or everyday outfits, alongside loved ones, posed on a burlap tarpaulin. In 2023, a collaboration with demographer and historian Hervé Le Bras adds a new dimension: nearly 90 photo studios are rolled out nationwide from 2023 to 2026, culminating in the publication of the book France, a Family Album by Actes Sud. After drawing crowds at the Hôtel de Ville in Paris in autumn 2025—about 35,000 visitors—the portraits now take to the public space to mark the bicentennial of photography.
The book is available for sale on site for the entire duration of the event, in a shop run by volunteers. All proceeds from sales go to the association de la Vallée de la Millière, which works to support the social and professional integration of young people facing difficulties in the Yvelines. A great extra reason to pick up a copy.
What makes the project truly distinctive is the human and demographic dimension carried by Hervé Le Bras’s texts. Each portrait is paired with a caption that goes beyond a simple description: how many bakers are there in France, how many baguettes are sold each day… It’s not just a photo of a baker; it’s something more, sums up Yann Arthus-Bertrand. A way of showing society, of revealing what binds us together. And visitors get it: many say these faces are the people they encounter every day. Not celebrities, not public figures, but Mr. and Mrs. Ordinary — proud of their craft, of their commitment, of what they do with their hands. The photographer, who spent twenty years capturing landscapes from the sky, freely admits that the faces have won him over for good.
One of the event’s most striking innovations. A photo studio designed by architect Renzo Piano is set up on the square, and every day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Yann Arthus-Bertrand and his team welcome the public for completely free photo sessions. Participants leave with a complimentary portrait. The studio is a space in itself: Arthus-Bertrand can’t hide his wonder at having one of the world’s greatest architects design this ephemeral venue, which has in fact been acquired by a foundation. To take part, you register on site, and the wait time depends on the crowd, never exceeding an hour. We’re advised to come at opening time, around 11 a.m., to move through quickly.
We were fortunate to chat with the photographer on site, and what hits you first is the total absence of hierarchy in his gaze. No matter where people come from, their skin color or their background: what interests him is who they are, what they do, and what they carry inside them. It’s no accident the exhibition draws as much from word of mouth as from social media, where studio photos circulate daily.
Place de la Concorde, a tourist hotspot to be sure, serves up this surprising moment as well: people stumble upon the exhibition without looking for it, and come away moved. "People tell me the exhibition feels good, because it makes people smile," he says. A France that seems at odds with the tensions seen in the National Assembly or on news channels. That morning, he recalls, he photographed a 101-year-old woman, a survivor of the concentration camps, who had come with a class of children. Smiling, radiant. He describes it as one of the strongest moments of the entire exhibit.
By the end of the event, some 40,000 people will have been photographed at the Place de la Concorde. These portraits will join the project’s French archives, and the exhibition will keep moving across France. Yann Arthus-Bertrand, for his part, isn’t planning to stop there: a major film for the IOC about the soul of sport, a biodiversity documentary for France 2, and already an invitation to repeat the same work in Grand-Montana, Switzerland, or in Germany. A man brimming with projects, and whose obsession with human faces doesn’t show any sign of slowing down.
There are still plenty of sunny days to enjoy on the square before the event wraps up on May 10. Each day from 9:30 a.m., free demonstrations of trades will be staged by WorldSkills France, the Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France, and the GoodPlanet Foundation, while the documentaries Photo de famille and its making-of play on a loop in the pavilion. Here’s a preview of the highlights to come:
In parallel, the domaine de Longchamp, home to the GoodPlanet Foundation at the heart of the Bois de Boulogne in the 16th arrondissement, remains open on weekdays for self-guided visits. This 19th-century château, a former property of Baron Haussmann, hosts an engaging program focused on ecology and solidarity in a 3.5-hectare green setting. Note that the Hôtel de la Marine, another jewel of the square, also deserves a stop if you’re in the neighborhood.
The entire event is free of charge, no booking required, at Place de la Concorde, from April 11 to May 10, 2026. For the full, up-to-date program, head to goodplanet.org. This event is open to all audiences, whether you’re with family, with friends, or flying solo, whether you’re a Parisian or a visitor passing through.
Dates and Opening Time
From April 11, 2026 to May 10, 2026
Location
Place de la Concorde
Place de la Concorde
75008 Paris 8
Prices
Free
