Corpus Christi: Christ in Photography at Hôtel de Sully

The exhibition 'Corpus Christi: Representations of Christ in Photography' was held at Hôtel de Sully in Paris from October 4, 2002 to January 5, 2003. Curated by Nissan N. Perez, curator at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, it explored how photography has depicted Christ, contrasting with painting and sculpture. The show included images of the Shroud of Turin, considered the first photographic portrait of Christ. It featured pictorialist staged photographs from the 19th century, including works by Julia Margaret Cameron, as well as documentary photographs evoking Christian themes, such as Eugene W. Smith's 'Tomoko in the Bath' (reminiscent of a pietà) and Freddy Alborta's photo of Che Guevara's body (evoking the deposition of Christ). The exhibition was organized thematically around episodes from Christ's life and Christian symbols. Notably, it excluded Andres Serrano's 'Piss Christ' to avoid controversy, a decision criticized by reviewer Richard Leydier as self-censorship. A companion book with texts by Perez and additional reproductions was published by Marval.