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Through May 30, Paris is paying tribute to Sebastião Salgado with a stunning exhibition in the Salle Saint-Jean at City Hall. It’s a black-and-white journey through the prolific career of a man who has established himself as one of the leading photographers of his generation. Here are five good reasons not to miss it.
1 > Rediscover the photographer's most beautiful photos
The silhouettes of fishermen move forward,
balancing precariously on the calm waters, toward a misty horizon. The exhibition opens with this
black-and-white photograph by Sebastião Salgado, taken on Lake
Piulaga in the state of Mato Grosso (Brazil). An
XXL format that draws us in, captivates us, and moves us deeply. The tone is set:
emotion will be the common thread running through this visit.
Along a winding path,
framed by rust-colored wooden picture rails that contrast with the
depth of the black-and-white images, the most beautiful series that have
earned the photographer his reputation are on display: Gold, La Main de l’homme, Genesis…
Fragments of a world in crisis, captured with precision and
great humanity.
Opening photo of the exhibition dedicated to Sebastião Salgado, on display in the Saint-Jean Room at City Hall (Paris City Center).
Crédit photo :
Joséphine Brueder / Ville de Paris
2 > Explore the MEP's photographic collections
More than 200 images punctuate
the exhibition, including 114 prints on exceptional loan from the Maison européenne
de la photographie (Paris Centre). Taken across the globe over
more than fifty years, they depict the horror of war, the hope for
a better tomorrow, and the anger of the oppressed. A dizzying panorama,
stripped of all color to get as close as possible to the truth, which
names, makes visible, bears witness to, but above all, humanizes what violence,
misery, and injustice tend to overshadow.
3 > Admire a set design crafted with meticulous attention to detail
Nothing has been left to chance. The exhibition design conceived
by his wife, Lélia Wanick Salgado, and her studio interacts closely with the
artworks. “Everything has been planned down to the last millimeter to immerse the visitor
in the magic of the images,” explains Corinne Delineau, the exhibition’s
production manager. Around the central path, large prints
hang overhead, inviting us never to look down or away.
To further guide the visitor, 200 lights have been installed, each designed to
highlight a specific photograph. An immersive experience that brings out
the full dramatic power of the captured scenes.
The exhibition design for the tribute to Sebastião Salgado, in the Saint-Jean Hall of City Hall (Paris City Center).
Crédit photo :
Joséphine Brueder / Ville de Paris
Part of the exhibition dedicated to Sebastião Salgado’s environmental commitments.
Crédit photo :
Joséphine Brueder / Ville de Paris
Part of the exhibition dedicated to the work of Rodrigo Salgado, the son of Sebastião Salgado.
Crédit photo :
Joséphine Brueder / Ville de Paris
4 > Take a stroll through Salgado’s Paris
Although he traveled the world, Sebastião Salgado never
forgot the city closest to his heart, Paris, where he settled in 1969 after fleeing the
Brazilian dictatorship. In 2024, accompanied by his assistant Jacques Barthélemy,
he photographed the capital throughout the four seasons. A project cut short by the photographer’s tragic death in May 2025; the first previously unseen prints can be viewed, exhibited at
the back of the Saint-Jean room. From the Canal Saint-Martin to Place Émile-Goudeau (18th arrondissement),
via the heights of Montmartre (18th arrondissement), these places familiar
to Parisians take on a very special poetry. The magic of Salgado…
5 > Meet the artist—and the man behind the art
“I wanted to pay tribute to the man, not just
the artist,” says Lélia Wanick Salgado. The mezzanine thus reveals the
most intimate part of the exhibition. Visitors are drawn into the causes he
steadfastly championed throughout his life, particularly environmentalism. Photographs
accompanied by texts illustrate the scope of the project he
founded with his wife in 1998: the Instituto Terra, in the state of Minas
Gerais (Brazil). Over the past twenty-five years, 3.5 million trees have been planted,
transforming arid land into a lush forest.
The final section of the exhibition is dedicated to the work of their son, Rodrigo Salgado. Born with Down syndrome, he has been developing a graphic and instinctive artistic world since childhood, one that takes on different colors depending on the ebb and flow of his thoughts. Proof that, in the Salgado family, art runs in the family.
Eva Y.
Visit the tribute exhibition to Sebastião Salgado for free
Hôtel de Ville - 3 rue de Lobau, Paris 4e
Du samedi 21 février 2026 au samedi 30 mai 2026
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