Thomas Jorion | Vestige d’Empire

Past Exhibition

Podbielski Contemporary proudly presenting:

THOMAS JORION | Vestiges d’ Empire – Spuren des Imperiums

16 MARCH– 19 APRIL 2017

Podbielski Contemporary is pleased to announce the second solo show in Berlin of the French artist Thomas Jorion from March 4th 2017 to April 22th, 2017.
Thomas Jorion’s photographs remind us a forgotten chapter of France’s long lasting colonial history. When along with other powerful countries, it ruled the world. In times when we were easily fascinated and seduced by the pastel colours of decrepit walls, the elapsed architectural elegance and the old fashion atmosphere which evoked exotic readings and adventurous and epic expeditions.

For his project “Vestiges d’Empire”, the photographer spent several years travelling around the world, from Algeria and Morocco to Louisiana, the Caribbean Islands, India, Vietnam and Cambodia intending to truthfully portray the remaining traces and ruins of the ancient French colonial empire.

The jail Saint Joseph in Guyana, the interiors of a villa in Indo-China or the facade of the cinema Rex D’ Oran, are only some of so many remaining evocative landmarks. Along with the law courts, the churches, the palaces, the inner secret courtyard, the lavish vegetation, which took over the buildings in time, memorial sites converted into spaces with new functions and loaded with new narratives, mostly written by others.

Thomas Jorion’s photographs are here to be seen to keep the tales they evoke alive. So that future generations are made aware of and better perceive history’s glorious and at time distressful past. Thomas Jorion (1976 Paris) captures his images with natural light using a large format camera and analogue films. After having successfully published several iconic series in his book, “Silencio” (2013 / Éditions de La Martinière), Thomas Jorion has now published “Vestiges d’ Empires” with the same editor. The book will be available for sale in our gallery.
The exhibition is arranged in collaboration with Galerie Esther Woerdehoff Paris