The history of photography begins, paradoxically, with an object in relief. In 1827, Nicéphore Niépce coated a metal plate with bitumen of Judea. Under the action of light, the material hardened and the imprint became an image. As this new medium was developing, the INJA was itself being transformed by medical, technical, and social change, notably with the invention of Braille in 1825.
While the intersection of these two histories may seem incidental, it invites us to reflect on the questions photography raises in relation to those who cannot see. Why and how should blind and visually impaired people be photographed? Is there a visual culture that belongs to them? What does our appreciation of image qualities - such as blur, contrast, and opacity - reveal about our relationship to sight and its absence?
The INJA's photographic collection is a rare body of work, never before exhibited, documenting the institution's history. Drawing on this archive, the exhibition traces the history of the place and its students. The earliest images coincide with the rise of photography studios under the Second Empire. More contemporary works, such as those by Hervé Guibert and Jacques Bondon, contribute to a renewed way of looking at blind and visually impaired people. Together, they invite us to rethink the representation of visual disability through the history of the medium and its evolutions.
INJA
The Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles (INJA), France's leading institution on visual impairment, welcomes blind and visually impaired young people and supports them in their life plans.