Photo-sensible

Drawing on the collection of glass negatives by the Lausanne-based photographer André Schmid (1836–1914), the exhibition highlights the expressive and aesthetic potential of an exceptional collection of photographs that have recently been restored with the support of Memoriav.

In a spirit of unrestricted exploration, the focus is on the image itself, through a presentation that gives pride of place to enlargements and series. Visitors are invited to discover the humanity and poetry that these images, which are over a century old, may hold, and to appreciate the beauty of the photographs in their raw material form, emphasised by the marks of time etched into the silver layer.
To bridge the gap between the photographer’s perspective and our contemporary sensibilities, three artistic interventions are presented in parallel: Léonore Baud’s Les Arbres nus, Olivier Jeannin’s Ek-stase and ECAL after Schmid, a project led by a group of students from the Bachelor’s degree programme in Photography at ECAL, presenting the contemporary interpretations inspired by André Schmid’s work.

In addition to the 120-page book accompanying the exhibition, the programme will be enriched by events centred on the artists’ works, one taking the form of a discussion between Léonore Baud and Olivier Jeannin, the other a guided tour led by a group of ECAL students. These students will also be giving presentations as part of Museum Night (Saturday 26 September).