Pavillon Populaire

EXTREME HOTEL is the name of a hotel in Addis Ababa, a simple place where Raymond Depardon likes to stay during his travels in Ethiopia. A modest base, a quiet place from which to observe the world. The exhibition follows this idea: taking the time to observe what surrounds us. It brings together nearly 150 color photographs, from the 1960s to the present day, and is organized into several series, including The Land of the Peasants, The DATAR, USA, Cartagena, and Tokyo. These images reveal a dual story: that of the photojournalist, during the heyday of news agencies and striking magazine front pages; and that of a man, the son of a farmer, whose gaze gradually shifted towards a freer and more intimate observation of the world. For this "carte blanche" exhibition, Raymond Depardon has opened his color archives to the Pavillon Populaire. He presents his work published in the press during his career as a photojournalist: from Queen Elizabeth to the Lebanese Civil War, from the Olympic Games to the Françoise Claustre affair. Throughout the exhibition, we also discover other, more solitary series in which Raymond Depardon spontaneously photographs places devoid of events, scenes of ordinary life, paying close attention to color and light. This exploration continues today with USA, a new series shot with a large-format camera in Texas, New Mexico, and South Dakota. Each series is a journey, a way of being in the world. Raymond Depardon offers us a colorful exploration of the countries he has traveled through and the feelings that accompanied him during his many stays across the globe. By taking us along on his travels, he teaches us a simple and humanist photography that deeply touches the traveler in each of us. Marie Perennès and Simon Depardon, curators of the exhibition Exhibition Itinerary 1. The Land of the Peasants Created in the 2000s, La Terre des Paysans (The Land of the Peasants) is Raymond Depardon's homage to his roots, a rural world he had long neglected, caught up in the pace of current events. Color accompanies this return to the land, to childhood, to what shaped him. Born in 1942 on a farm in the Saône Valley, Raymond Depardon still cherishes the gestures of his parents and the scenes of daily life in the farmyard, where he took his first color photographs with a Rolleiflex camera. One of the images from the series The Land of the Peasants, the portrait of Marcel Privat, has now become a postage stamp, a discreet symbol of a rural France that is gradually disappearing. 2. Press Color Black and white long dominated photojournalism, perceived as the language of seriousness and truth. Only the covers of major weekly magazines like Paris Match or Life were an exception: color became a tool of seduction, designed to make an impact and capture attention at newsstands. Photographers then worked with two cameras: one loaded with black and white film for the report, the other with color film to try and land the cover, the true Holy Grail for photojournalists. Featuring press clippings from Raymond Depardon's personal archives, the "Press Color" section traces his career as a photojournalist: from Algeria to Vietnam, from the Olympic Games to the Claustre affair. Initially working for the press, color became for him the starting point for a freer, more personal, and more intimate style of photography. 3. The Datar In 1984, the DATAR (Interministerial Delegation for Regional Planning and Attractiveness) commissioned several photographers, including Raymond Depardon, to document the French landscape. Inspired by photographers such as Walker Evans, Paul Strand, and Robert Frank, Depardon recognized the importance of photographing his own territory and chose to return to his childhood home, the family farm. Shot in color with a large-format camera, the series meticulously captures even the smallest, seemingly insignificant details: a play of light, an oilcloth on a table, a wallpaper pattern. This more intimate approach to his subject marked a turning point in his practice. Thus began a demanding period of work with the large-format camera, which would give rise, 20 years later, to major series such as La France, or more recently, USA. Practical Information Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm (closed between 12pm and 2pm) Free entry. Last entry 15 minutes before closing. Accessible to people with disabilities. Guided Tours Weekly visits: Friday at 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 11am and 4pm Family visits: Wednesdays and Sundays at 11am and 3pm Booking is mandatory for all group visits (guided or unguided): [visites@montpellier.fr](mailto:visites@montpellier.fr)