Photography in all its letters, an artistic ABC on display at the MEP

In 2026, we celebrate the bicentennial of photography: an invention that changed the world, an art that has won over both creators and audiences. To mark the occasion, the Maison Européenne de la Photographie is staging a special exhibition, on view from June 10 to September 13, 2026.

Intitulée La photographie en toutes lettres, this exhibition brings together photographs from different eras and by various artists to illustrate the full range of possibilities this art can offer. The curated journey also traces the evolution of photography and the connections that, despite everything, endure through the years and across continents.

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MEP has brought together 35 artists, including photography greats such as Nan Goldin, Ralph Gibson, Martin Parr, Sophie Calle, Frank Horvat... The exhibition takes the form of a abécédaire, where letters are linked to words, words to images, and where each image tells a small story that feeds the grand epic of photography.

Since the 1820s, photography has not only captured reality but also manipulated perception to craft uniquely immersive worlds.

Truth, Forbidden, Adolescence, Periods, Museum, Journal, Kodak... This exhibition brings together a wide variety of works that cover rich themes and equally disparate worlds. Several photographs are linked to each word: the works then begin a dialogue that transcends eras and generations. This multiplicity of viewpoints shows both the universality of lives and human experiences, and the infinite richness of individuals and the artists' visions.

Photography as art, and photography as evolving technology, the relationship to reality, the scientific and journalistic duty, and social uses... Lovers of the photographie should find in this exhibition a fascinating and information-rich journey.