Regards Croisés: A Cross-Border Dialogue

Regards Croisés is the result of a collaboration between the Charleroi Museum of Photography and the Institut pour la photographie. By exploring the collection of one institution and the archives of the other, the respective conservation teams from both institutions have created a visual dialogue within the permanent exhibition at the Museum of Photography.

Ten thematic sections are scattered throughout the galleries, tracing the history of photography from its origins to the present day. They bring together some forty photographs from the archives of Bettina Rheims, Jean-Louis Schoellkopf, and Agnès Varda—on loan from the Institute—with works drawn from the Museum’s collections. The juxtaposition of these images, some of which are rotated, explores thematic, formal, or technical aspects. For example, a contact sheet of dancers in Cuba by Agnès Varda from 1963 echoes Albert Londe’s chronophotographs from the 1880s, while another resembles the botanical motifs of Jacques Meuris; prints from various series by Bettina Rheims dating from 1987 to 2009 are displayed alongside works from the Surrealist, portrait, and music galleries; Jean-Louis Schoellkopf’s documentary approach from the 1980s through 2015 resonates with the prints of August Sander and those of the Belgian photographer Yves Auquier.

Explanatory labels accompany this exhibition, sparking new reflections on photography, its two-century history, and its scientific, cultural, and artistic dimensions. They reflect the sharing of knowledge and analyses focused on these heritage resources and diverse photographic practices.

Organized by the Museum of Photography in Charleroi, this initiative enriches the visitor experience of its permanent exhibition and highlights the dialogue with its guest partner.

learn more

↘︎ Credits: Regards Croisés is a certified event part of The Bicentennial of Photography by the French Ministry of Culture. It is one of several hundred events (exhibitions, conferences, film screenings, and film education projects) that will take place in France and abroad.