Report and Visual Essay by Hans Hickerson •
Never having attended Paris Photo, I did not know what to expect. I was unprepared for its overwhelming scale, its high-octane mix of image and ego. And the crowds: how at times you had to wait to squeeze in to look at a book, or to queue up behind 60 people to get your Alex Soth book signed. The flash too: the fleet of chauffeured luxury cars outside in the street for the VIPs. Plus the big names: Jim Jarmusch, Danny Lyon, Martin Parr, Sophie Calle, Alex Soth, and more, a who’s who of photographers. On Saturday alone there were over 150 authors signing their books, including 40 choices for the 4 p.m. slot.
With 1,500 artists, 240 exhibitors from 34 countries, 400 book signings, and 80,000 visitors, an apt descriptor for Paris Photo is “sprawling.”
Paris Photo – 2019 report
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