[TERMINÉ] Plantu - Reza, Cross Perspectives

A not-so-chance encounter

The exhibition began with an encounter: the meeting of cartoonist Plantu and photographer Reza at the Rencontres Internationales du Dessin de Presse (International Press Cartoon Festival) held at the Caen Memorial in April 2011.

I knew Plantu [...] from reading the newspaper Le Monde. I also felt an affinity with the subjects he dealt with in his drawings.

Reza

Yet that first meeting left a lasting impression on the photographer. When the cartoonist playfully handed him a piece of paper, Reza was surprised to see a caricature of himself!

We ended up spending the day together. He told me he had been following my work for years, and that my photos inspired him. We connected, and that connection grew over time, little by little.

Reza

A fusion of drawing and photography

Their common sensibility gave rise to a desire to work together. A few years after meeting, Plantu suggested they combine their approaches.

I drew the tie between a photograph and one of my existing caricatures. The historical and aesthetic coincidences between our two paths were uncanny.

Plantu

The artists came up with dozens of works combining Plantu's sensitive, free-spirited drawing style and Reza's iconic shots. This fertile collaboration gave rise to the book Plantu - Reza: Regards Croisés (Gallimard, 2021) and this exhibition. 

Offering different views of the world, you'll find that their two perspectives are complementary. Sometimes their photography and drawings deal with the same subject. Sometimes they conflict. But whether in opposition or harmony, their combined works leave no one indifferent.

Views of the news

As committed humanists and artists, Plantu and Reza never cease to call for fraternity and dialogue. Privileged witnesses to the events of recent decades, they draw constant inspiration from world news.

The environment, conflicts, inequality, migration, freedom of the press: explore the themes that are central to both artists through a selection of original works, as well as the newspaper headlines that have captured the news.