The Musée de l’Elysée presents the first exhibition devoted to the history of the slide, from its inception in the second half of the 19th century to today.
The Musée de l’Elysée presents the first exhibition devoted to the history of the slide, from its inception in the second half of the 19th century to today. Whereas the history of photography was built around the photographic print, the photographic projection underwent a major development as of the last third of the 19th century, borrowing from the tradition of magic lantern shows.
For a long time confined to the realm of teaching, public lectures and popular entertainment, photographic projection also became increasingly popular among amateur photographers. Some well-known professionnal photographers already used the slide in the first half of the 20th century, but it wasn’t until the decade from 1960-1970 that this type of presentation really took hold within the artistic community when conceptual artists adopted it as an alternative means of expression.
The exhibition is organized into four major sections, each devoted to a different aspect of this type of photographic presentation : the light image, the setup, the sequence and the session. The selection covers the diversity of these practices in order to emphasize its impact on visual culture.
The selection consists of more than 20 projections and brings together different media – slide objects, prints, projectors, original documentation and videos (reconstitutions).
An extensive catalogue co-published by the Musée de l’Elysée and Editions Noir sur Blanc will accompagny the exhibition.
Preview: Wednesday, May 31 at 6pm