GUY TILLIM : MUSEUM OF REVOLUTION
The South African photographer Guy Tillim (born in 1962) is the winner of the 2017 HCB Award, attributed with the support of Fondation d’entreprise Hermès. With this new series Museum of the Revolution, he observes the effects of decolonisation within the major capital cities of Africa.
His extensive wanderings have in recent years led him to Johannesburg, Durban, Maputo, Beira, Harare, Nairobi, Kampala, Addis Ababa, Luanda, Libreville, Accra, Abidjan, Dakar and Dar es Salaam. The avenues, named and renamed, act as silent witnesses to the ebb and flow of political, economic and social changes. They have become “the museum” of the two major revolutions that have emerged in these countries in recent decades: from colonial regimes to post-colonial regimes, borrowing from socialist practices, then from African nationalism to capitalistic states.
The HCB Award :
Awarded by the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, the HCB Award is an indivisible grant of 35,000 euros for creation; it enable photographers to carry out or continue a project that could not have been done without this support. It is intended for experienced artists who have already done significant work in a documentary approach.
The jury of the HCB 2017 Award nominated South African photographer Guy Tillim for his project Museum of the Revolution. His name was put forward by Federica Angelucci, Stevenson, Capetown and Johannesbourg.
HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON : EN FRANCE 1926-1938
For the first exhibition in the gallery dedicated to its Collections, the Fondation HCB is showcasing one of the most substantial parts of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s work : France.
In the throes of social tension, workers joined forces under the name “APO” (Amateur Photographer Workers), and used their Leica cameras to cover the proletarian movement. The group received the support of the AEAR (Association of revolutionary artists), of which Henri Cartier-Bresson was a member. He supported and was actively involved in this turning point which marked the emergence of documentary and social photography.