Through May 18, 2014, the Musée de la Photographie de Charleroi in Belgium will exhibit 150 photographs by Gilles Caron (1939-1970), the star photographer of the Gamma news agency.

The museum is housed in a Carmelite monastery dating from the late 19th century, giving its 2200m2 exhibition space a certain neo-Gothic charm. The charismatic museum director Xavier Canonne added a modern wing to the monastery, where the works receive the perfect amount of natural light. It’s remarkable.

“We’ve wanted to do a Gilles Caron exhibition for years,” says Canonne. “After Don McCullin, Caron was imperative.” He gave a warm welcome to Marianne Caron and Marjolaine Caron-Bachelot, the photographer’s widow and one of his two daughters, respectively, along with Fondation Gilles Caron director Louis Bachelot. The museum team united behind its director and did their best to make this exhibition a success. It is.

One hundred and fifty photographs, including several lesser-known works, are on display: the Six Day War, Vietnam, Biafra, Northern Ireland, May 1968, the Prague Spring. His iconic photographs are there: Daniel Cohn-Bendit in ‘68, the ammunition carrier in Biafra, Moshe Dayan in Jerusalem. But more remarkable are his portraits, especially those of American soldiers in Vietnam. We can see the distress, the incomprehension, the pain on the faces of these men wondering about their lives.

Also remarkable is this series of “throwers” (paving stones, molotov cocktails) that Michel Poivert has cleverly highlighted in the photographer’s work. In addition to being the curator of this exhibition, Poivert is the author of an indispensable book that shares a title with the exhibition, Gilles Caron, conflit intérieur. A must for all photo lovers.

MP

Read all reports about the Musée de la Photographie de Charleroi (Belgium)

Musée Photographique de Charleroi
11, avenue Paul Pastur (GPS : Place des Essarts)
B-6032 Charleroi (Mont-sur-Marchienne)
Belgique
Tel. 32 (0)71 43.58.10
Fax 32 (0)71 36.46.45.
Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 6pm.

 

BOOKS
Gilles Caron, conflit intérieur de Michel Poivert – Editions Photosynthèses 2013 – 65€
Gilles Caron, Scrapbook – Editions Lien Art – 40€
Gilles Caron, J’ai voulu voir, lettres d’Algérie – Editions Calmann-Levy – 22.50€
Gilles Caron – Photo Poche Actes Sud avec texte de McCullin – 12€
Mort au Biafra de Gilles Caron et Floris de Bonneville – Editions Solar (occasion sur Internet)

www.museephoto.be
www.fondationgillescaron.org
www.gamma-rapho.comDernière révision le 26 mars 2024 à 5;06 par Michel Puech