Regards Croisés : Sur les Traces de François Arago
Jade Leisner, Olivier Montay and Corentin Schimel will present “Regards Croisés: Sur les Traces de François Arago” at the Spéos Gallery, 7 rue Jules Vallès, 75011 Paris, from March 21st to May 4th, 2023.
Opening of the exhibition: March 21st 2023, from 6pm to 9pm
About the exhibition
François Arago, a French politician and physician, was born in Estagel in the Pyrénées-Orientales on February 26th, 1786. In 1839, he introduced to the Academy of Sciences the process of fixing an image invented by Nicéphore Niépce and Louis Daguerre, then convinced the French Government to buy the patent on the invention and to make it public. This led to the expansion of photography and its rapid development worldwide.
Symbolically set out “in the footsteps” of François Arago, Jade Leisner, Olivier Montay and Corentin Schimel wanted to cross their sights on Estagel and its region, offering 3 different but complementary approaches to the places that saw the growth of one of the major personalities of the 19th century.
By this approach referring to the invention of photography, they worked exclusively with film. Although far from the daguerreotype and the processes that succeed it, which are more technically restrictive, this historical reference to the birth of photography is presented as close as possible to the original medium.
About the photographers
After starting their professional careers in diverse sectors, Jade, Olivier and Corentin met at Spéos International Photography School in Paris, and have since collaborated on numerous collective projects, in addition to their personal work.
Jade Leisner is a fashion photographer, based in Paris. She studied at Spéos School of Photography in 2019-2020 (Fashion, Luxury and Beauty specialization) and collaborates regularly with fashion designers.
Olivier Montay is a French photographer, mainly involved in portraits and corporate reporting. After a professional career very different from photography, Olivier created his own studio in 2022.
Olivier is a Spéos 2019 alumni from the program Professional Photography Fundamentals – 5 months.
Corentin Schimel is a French photographer based in Paris. He specializes in documentary photography, and regularly collaborates with artists (art works, exhibitions and concerts) as well as NGO’s and companies (reportage, portraits, events).
He is co-founder of the NGO Barreau des Arts, enabling free access to lawyers for artists with copyright issues and in precarious economic situations. He also founded the media Pariétisme, interested in artistic performances in the urban environment, and is an avid musician in his spare time.