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Exhibition view, Photoromance, Paul Kodjo. Exhibition co-produced with Les Rencontres d’Arles, 07.06.2026 – 10.04.2026. Video credit: Antoine Aphesbero.

PHOTOROMANCE

PAUL KODJO

from 07/06/2026 to 10/04/2026

[OFF SITE] Les Rencontres d’Arles (Espace Croisière)

Produced in collaboration with the Rencontres d’Arles, the exhibition presents the work of photographer Paul Kodjo, who was a key observer of the transformations of the Côte d’Ivoire in the 1970s as it underwent a process of cultural emancipation.

A woman stands in front of a modern high-rise building and abstract sculpture, wearing a sweater, shorts, and sandals; low angle perspective. — Paul Kodjo ( 1939 – 2021), Abidjan, années 1970. © Paul Kodjo / Les Rencontres du Sud / in camera galerie

“Photoromance” is the first monographic exhibition dedicated to the work of Ivorian photographer Paul Kodjo in France. A major figure of the country’s post-independence culture, Kodjo developed a unique body of work which explores the links between image and narrative, in particular through the photoroman [photonovel] and documentary genres. The exhibition retraces his trajectory, from his years in Paris to his return to Abidjan in 1970, where he founded MAMEDIS, a photography, film and publishing agency. By blending fiction with representations of social life, Kodjo gave a narrative form to the transformations of a country in the midst of a process of cultural emancipation.

A woman with an afro hairstyle sits on a chair, wearing a light-colored, patterned sweater, and raising her left hand while looking down. The photo is in black and white. — Paul Kodjo, « Deux femmes, un homme » , photoroman,1971. © Paul Kodjo / Les Rencontres du Sud.

Three people, two men and one woman, stand and converse in a dimly lit area with circular overhead lighting. The man in the center wears a light suit and tie. — Paul Kodjo ( 1939 – 2021), « Notre enfant a sauvé notre amour », photoroman,1971. © Paul Kodjo / Les Rencontres du Sud.

Three people sit on a couch; the woman in the center wipes her face, while the woman on the left looks at her and the man on the right, wearing sunglasses, looks away. — Paul Kodjo « Perdue et retrouvée », photoroman, 1973. © Paul Kodjo / Les Rencontres du Sud.

FROM 10/21/2026 TO 02/14/2027

ADMISSION

SCHEDULE

GETTING HERE

A man sits in a chair in front of a curtain with a dotted pattern, wearing a short-sleeve collared shirt and pants, looking straight ahead.

Paul Kodjo Artist See more

Curator Amandine Nana, assisted by Candice Ratsimba

Scientific Advisor Ananias Léki Dago ( Les Rencontres du Sud )

THIS EXHIBITION BENEFITS FROM THE SUPPORT OF

This project has been awarded the “Bicentennial of Photography” label by the French Ministry of Culture and forms part of the official Bicentennial programme, running from 1 September 2026 to 30 September 2027.