The Photographic Eye

On the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of the Regional center of contemporary art (FRAC), the CNAP and FRAC Auvergne combine to organise an outstanding exhibition that gathers together more than 90 art works from the photographic collection of the CNAP. The path of this exhibition is designed to address the various status of the photographic image, from its fictional documentary to its investment dimension.

This path highlights both historical and emerging artists. Based on a set of concepts falling under the ocular physiology (Fovea, macula, lens, etc.), the exhibition also proposes the various functions of the camera eye in its ability to perceive the world on a symbolic and poetic way.

With the art works of Yto Barrada, Eric Baudelaire, Philippe Bazin, Bernd et Hilla Becher, Valérie Belin, Sophie Calle, Stéphane Couturier, Gregory Crewdson, Raphaël Dallaporta, Thomas Demand, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Rineke Dijkstra, Véronique Ellena, Geert Goiris, David Goldblatt, Nan Goldin, Pierre Gonnord, Paul Graham, Philippe Gronon, Andreas Gursky, Camille Henrot, Yuri Kozyrev, Abigail Lane, Jean-Luc Mylayne, Nasa, Eric Poitevin, Sophie Ristelhueber, Thomas Ruff, Vivian Sassen, Zineb Sedira, Alan Sekula, Andres Serrano, Jeanloup Sieff, Cindy Sherman, Vincent J. Stoker, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Wolfgang Tillmans, Patrick Tosani, Jeff Wall and Xavier Zimmerman

Bound by a common history, the FRACs and the CNAP, each of them created by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication in 1982, are committed to the most innovative and ambitious projects involving the French scene within the country and abroad. They thus share their expertise and values​​, placing the artist at the center of their concerns and defending a laboratory and risk taking policy.

The CNAP makes a series of collaborations and looks for external views on its collection, and also seeks to spread it throughout all the territories. Its collection of almost 500 high-level art works allows the FRAC Auvergne to develop its actions of raising the widest possible audience's awareness to contemporary art, and to establish partnerships. For years, its collection, initially dedicated to painting, has increased on issues related to the status of the image.

Centre national des arts plastiques (CNAP)

The Photographic Eye

artist/s:
Yto Barrada, Eric Baudelaire, Philippe Bazin, Bernd und Hilla Becher, Valerie Belin, Sophie Calle, Stephane Couturier, Gregory Crewdson, Raphael Dallaporta, Thomas Demand, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Rineke Dijkstra, Veronique Ellena, Geert Goiris, David Goldblatt, Nan Goldin, Pierre Gonnord, Paul Graham, Philippe Gronon, Andreas Gursky, Camille Henrot, Yuri Kozyrev, Abigail Lane, Jean-Luc Mylayne,  NASA , Eric Poitevin, Sophie Ristelhueber, Thomas Ruff, Viviane Sassen, Zineb Sedira, Allan Sekula, Andres Serrano, Jeanloup Sieff, Cindy Sherman, Vincent J. Stoker, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Wolfgang Tillmans, Patrick Tosani, Jeff Wall, Xavier Zimmermann.