Metz Photo 15.1 Exhibition / Archives - Between Memory, Traces, and Reappropriation by Katel Delia

Show & Culture

For the 15th edition of Metz Photo, Katel DELIA is the patron. The word "archive" primarily refers to places where documents called archives are organized and classified. These follow a specific nomenclature, allowing for easy retrieval of a photograph, a plan, a sound, a video, or information. In this way, we go back in time to learn and understand a part of the past. Official archives provide various documents depending on the time period. Archives reveal information but also highlight what is missing. From its invention, photography was considered as proof of reality and, therefore, an archive of what was. Over time, its role evolved, and the archive became sometimes sacred. Artists may examine, study, move, reappropriate, or even rewrite the archive, highlighting forgotten elements. This search can be long and involve several sources. Combining official and personal archives offers new perspectives on events and reaches the audience intimately. For each masterclass participant, the archive was the starting point of their creative process. The proposed works are varied: historical, documentary, intimate, family, and poetic.