07 november 2023, Pienk de Gaay Fortman
Six must-see photographers during Paris Photo
From 9 to 12 November, photography enthusiasts can discover a wide range of shows during Paris Photo. This 26th edition, 200 participants are bringing out their very finest of photography: from historical to contemporary and modern masters to young talent. Gallery Viewer highlights five world-class photographers whose work can be admired while enjoying a view of the Eiffel Tower. Hideyuki Ishibashi questions our visual culture, Kim Boske engages us in the wonderful world of indigo, Hassan Hajjaj celebrates his Moroccan roots with his camera, Jeffrey Conley enchants with his landscapes, Pixy Liao welcomes us as a voyeur into her intimate world and Viviane Sassen launches her latest art that never ceases to surprise.
Hideyuki Ishibashi (1986, Japan) responds to the flood of images we take in daily. He dares to argue that these are nothing but an imitation of already existing images. Thus, photography only carries meaning if reproduced. He asks himself: 'How do we look at images today? How does context - advertising, museum presentations, street images - determine our gaze?' With these questions in mind, for his project 'Présage' he collects content via flea markets, social networks and Google street views to create new images. He combines these with drawings from his dreams. With his manipulated images, he redefines photography as a projection of the imagination. Ishibashi won the Meijburg Art Commission during Unseen in 2018, for which commissioned work was created for the headquarters in Amstelveen. His work is also currently on display at the Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand in Paris until 4 February 2024.
Represented by Bigaignon
Hideyuki Ishibashi, Presage, Courtesy Galerie Thierry Bigaignon
Kim Boske (1978, Netherlands) uses video and photography to explore the relationship between humans and nature. What fascinates her is that our environment is constantly changing and intertwined with everything that exists - a process of 'becoming' rather than 'being'. Boske uses traditional Japanese techniques such as printing on washi paper and submerging her photographs in indigo. For the latter, Boske stirs and sprinkles indigo leaves with water for four months before immersing them in a bath. To keep the indigo alive, Boske nurses it daily in her studio. Working with these living organisms is an integral part of Boske's practice and results in intriguing works that are an ode to the elusiveness of nature. Her work expresses a poetic stratification full of dynamics in which all sorts of things can be discovered. Boske's art has been exhibited internationally at MAMM Moscow, Pavillon du Jardin des Plantes in Rouen, Park Ryu Sook Gallery Seoul, Singapore International Photography Festival and the embassy in Washington D.C.
Represented by Flat//land
Kim Boske, Ohkubo, 2021, Flat//land
Hassan Hajjaj (1961, Morocco) mixes various media such as photography, printed fabrics and films in his artistic practice. Using elements from fashion photography, Hajjaj plays with Western perceptions of Arab society by portraying his models in colourful North African clothes. Distinctive about his photography are the frames in which he places the pictures with references to major brands such as Coca-Cola and Louis Vuitton. In this way, he puts art photography and popular culture in a broader perspective. In the world-famous ongoing series 'Kesh Angels', Hajjaj photographs young, female motorcyclists in Marrakech. Through his vivid portraits, he celebrates the energy of people and traditions that make up the North African country. On that, he says: "Marrakesh has an energy - those are my roots. I try to turn things upside down, but I make sure it stays authentic. I give back to the community." Hajjaj's works are in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Lazaar Foundation in Tunisia, among others.
Represented by 193 Gallery
Hassan Hajjaj, Bouchra Rider, 2008 193 Gallery, copyright the artist
Jeffrey Conley (1968, USA) is a landscape photographer who specializes in making traditional black and white prints. The photographs strive for a balanced simplicity that evokes his sense of wonder and reverence for the natural world. Scale and palette vary, from small, intimate and subtle, to large, grand and dramatic. The photographer: “For as long as I can remember I have felt most at peace outdoors. Nature is in constant change, and photography is particularly well suited to capture and amplify the swirling fluidity and the wonderfully serendipitous moments born of the ephemeral.” For his prints he uses the darkroom with the platinum method, a 19th century technique in which each print is coated with platinum and palladium metals. This gives his photography an enchanting, velvety sheen. Conley's art can be found widely in collections such as the Museum of Art in Japan, Rochester Institute of Technology in America and Salzburg College in Austria.
Represented by Bildhalle
Jeffrey Conley, Forest Trail, France, 2021/2023, Bildhalle
Pixy Liao (1979, China) uses photography, video and installation to challenge stereotypical representations of couples, artists and the female experience. Some of these intimate, humorous photographs are from Liao's ‘Experimental Relationship’ project, 2007 - ongoing. In these duo portraits, Liao appropriates a dominant role while her friend Moro takes a submissive one. In Find a woman you can rely on (2010), we see this: the artist looks at us confidently in contrast to her lover who leans sleepily on her shoulder. She mostly captures her photographs in indoor spaces, with soft colour tones and subtle shading - factors that enhance the intimate setting. The artist makes the viewer a welcome voyeur into her personal world. Liao participates in exhibitions internationally, including Fotografiska, Rencontres d'Arles in Arles, Asia Society, the National Gallery of Australia. She received the NYFA Fellowship in photography, En Foco's New Works Fellowship and Madame Figaro Women Photographers Award.
Represented by Stieglitz19
Pixy Liao, find a woman you can rely on, Stieglitz19
Viviane Sassen (1972, Netherlands) has been creating photography at the intersection with video art, painting, fashion and collages for 30 years. In 2007, Sassen received the Dutch art prize Prix de Rome for the 'Lexicon' series. Part of this is D.N.A. (2007), an intriguing image of a father and his son posing intertwined as a living sculpture on a beach in Ghana. During Paris Photo, Stevenson will show her most recent work, including the photograph Somnia #2 (2023), which, with its ocean blue colour and abstract composition, is a mysterious addition to her existing work. As the title suggests ('Somnia' is Latin for dreams), Sassen takes us into her dream world. The surrealistic style, bright use of colour, surprising details and fashionable dynamics give it its own signature. Sassen has an impressive career with numerous exhibitions, publications and awards. She has exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, International Centre of Photography and the Venice Biennale. Recent exhibitions include Museum of Modern Art Zagreb (2022); Foto Forum Bolzano (2022); Huis Marseille, Amsterdam (2020); Fotografiska, Stockholm (2017). The Maison Européene de la Photographie will show a major retrospective of Sassen's oeuvre in Paris until 11 February 2024.
Represented by Stevenson
Viviane Sassen, Somnia#2, Courtesy of Stevenson, Amsterdam, Cape Town and Johannesburg
Paris Photo
Grand Palais Éphémère
Place Joffre, 75007 Paris
Avenue Charles Risler, 75007 Paris
Opening hours
8 November private preview
9-11 November 13:00 - 20:00
12 November 13:00 - 19:00
Info and tickets
