In an exhibition presented at the moment at the Musée de l’Homme in Paris, the photographer Reza and the cartoonist Plantu bring together their visions of the world. “Regards Croisés” presents, in large format, some of their images published in 2021 in a book published by Gallimard.
It is a joint exhibition signed by a photojournalist and a cartoonist, both famous. The first is called Reza, he was born in Iran in 1952. The second is Plantu whose drawings illustrated the front page of the newspaper The world for nearly half a century. Their first meeting dates back to 2011 and very quickly, their complicity led them to marry their works in an intimate way, first in a book, then in this new exhibition.
” When we started working together, very nicely, to my surprise, Reaz said to me: “You can enter my photos“, says the designer. I didn’t dare and then finally, I got into it. Even if I add colors to his photos, even if there is a fusion, I don’t touch on the essential. The most important proposition for us is the visitor’s imagination. »
Reza and Plantu have covered most of the great confits of recent decades, each in their own way. If the look of the draftsman implies by nature a step back and an analysis, that of the photographer necessarily projects it on the ground, at the heart of the event. Two different postures, but a common will and goal: to denounce injustices and make the voices of those who cannot express themselves heard. This earned them some enmity and sometimes threats.
” Each of us knows the danger, says Reza. We know the impact of what we do. This work has created a new form of image that has several layers of reading, especially for young people who are much more accustomed to comics and photography through social networks. »
The images on display at the Musée de l’Homme do not only reflect the many conflicts on the planet. We also discover in a unique way the impact of human activity on the environment. Plantu and Reza covered a variety of vulnerable areas, weakened by pollution.
Reza has traveled through more than a hundred countries in his career, bearing witness to conflicts, revolutions and disasters. Plantu illustrated the daily front page of Le Monde newspaper from 1985 to 2021. His drawings number in the tens of thousands. The combination of photography and drawing reveals, with striking lucidity and accuracy, the commitment of these two fervent pacifists.