From November 16, 2024, to April 21, 2025, the Museo Civico di Bassano del Grappa presents an exhibition dedicated to Brassa\u00ef, the artist who captured the essence of Paris with a passionate and unique perspective. This exhibition, titled Brassa\u00ef. The Eye of Paris, is presented in collaboration with Silvana Editoriale and the Estate Brassa\u00ef Succession, marking a fundamental chapter in the history of 20th-century photography.<\/p>\n
Born in Hungary and adopted by Paris, Brassa\u00ef is recognized as one of the founding figures of French humanist photography. His friend, writer Henry Miller, called him \u201cthe living eye of photography,\u201d acknowledging Brassa\u00ef\u2019s keen sensitivity to the world. Moving to Paris in 1924, the city became his muse, inspiring him to portray everything that made it enchanting\u2014from iconic monuments and working-class neighborhoods to nighttime haunts and high-society events.<\/p>\n
His celebrated night photographs, compiled in the book Paris de nuit (1933), reveal the city in a mysterious play of light and shadow. Over the years, Brassa\u00ef collaborated with notable magazines like Minotaure and Harper\u2019s Bazaar, capturing the cultural and surrealist movements of his time. His friendships with artists such as Salvador Dal\u00ed, Henri Matisse, Jacques Pr\u00e9vert, and Pablo Picasso allowed him to participate in the vibrant creative pulse of early 20th-century Paris.<\/p>\n
For Brassa\u00ef, photography was a lens through which he could observe and reinterpret the world. His camera transformed the ordinary into the extraordinary, elevating even the most common elements into symbols of art. His famous quote, \u201cIf everything can become banal, everything can become wonderful again: what is the banal if not the wonderful impoverished by habit?\u201d perfectly encapsulates his philosophy.<\/p>\n
The exhibition showcases nearly 200 vintage prints, many developed by Brassa\u00ef himself, along with a selection of sculptures, documents, and personal items. Curated by Philippe Ribeyrolles and Barbara Guidi, the exhibition takes visitors through the highlights of Brassa\u00ef\u2019s career, immersing them in the dreamlike atmosphere of 1930s Paris.<\/p>\n
Enhancing the experience, the exhibition is accompanied by a bilingual catalog in Italian and English and offers a comprehensive program of educational activities suitable for visitors of all ages. Among the initiatives is a special photography workshop, spread across four sessions.<\/p>\n
The exhibition is held under the patronage of the Veneto Region. For further information and reservations:<\/p>\n