Controverses, Eggleston, and New Russian Photography at Paris Exhibitions

The exhibition 'Controverses' at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (March 4–May 24) drew large crowds but faced sharp criticism for its chronological, uncontextualized display of controversial photographs, including works by Hippolyte Bayard, Robert Capa, Robert Doisneau, Kevin Carter, Andrés Serrano, Robert Mapplethorpe, and David LaChapelle. Critics argued the show mixed images of Abu Ghraib, a Yves Saint Laurent ad by Steven Heisel, and an anonymous 1944 Auschwitz-Birkenau photograph without critical reflection, leading lawyer Emmanuel Pierrat to accuse it of a quasi-negationist approach. Separately, William Eggleston's 'Paris' at Fondation Cartier (April 4–June 21) presented an anti-monumental view of the city, focusing on ordinary scenes with his signature flashy colors, though some found the aesthetic dated. At Passage de Retz (March 24–May 3), 'On the Road' featured three young Russian photographers: Petr Lovigin's grotesque photomontages, Tim Parchikov's cinematic night and day series 'Suspense' and 'Peripheral Vision', and Georgy Pervov's documentary work on contemporary Russian life, with Pervov's images recalling Martin Parr but more disenchanted.