David Goldbaltt: Structures of Dominion and Democracy

For the very first time, the Centre Pompidou is devoting a retrospective to the work of David Goldblatt, a key figure in the South African photography scene, and a major artist in the politically committed documentary. Through his photos, Goldblatt tells the story of his native country, its geography and its inhabitants, maintaining a singular tension between subject, territory, politics and representation. The exhibition looks back over his career through a selection of major series, and reveals lesser-known groups of pictures, like his first photos taken in the townships of Johannesburg. The series On the Mines, now considered an iconic work in the history of documentary photography, is presented with working prints. The exhibition also includes part of the Particulars series from the Centre Pompidou collection and the artist's most recent work, through the Intersections series. All these series cast a sharp eye on the complexity of social relations under apartheid.