Bettina Rheims
Biography
Virtual Tour of Bettina Rheims' Studio
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The 8 October 2021
The Institut pour la photographie is pleased to present a virtual tour of Bettina Rheims’ studio, created as part of the donation of her collection to the Institut pour la photographie, at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris during the Palais Augmenté 2 festival organized by Fisheye and the Rmn – Grand-Palais. Thanks to virtual reality technology, explore the photographer’s world in this incredible space where the artist worked and lived throughout her career.
“ This place you’re about to discover is my photography studio. I’ve worked here, I’ve even lived here, and it’s where I’ve done most of my work—my photos, my encounters, my life. ”
In the 1980s, Bettina Rheims moved into the former home and studio of Argentine sculptor Alicia Penalba, in the heart of Paris’s Marais neighborhood, where she would take most of her photographs. A true living space, this large duplex apartment with its inner courtyard combines social areas, a photography studio, and rooms for everything from preparing models to retouching photos. The office is a key room, featuring a large library and a glass-roofed area for reviewing prints. Spaces are also set aside for storing her entire archive.
Before the collection is moved, this iconic site in the photographer’s career is the focus of a first-of-its-kind project. The Institut pour la photographie is launching the first-ever virtual tour of a photographer’s studio in order to preserve the legacy of this creative space.
The tour is also available online. It will soon be expanded with new content and will highlight the research conducted by the Institut pour la photographie on the photographer’s archives.
Artist
