Born in 1957 in Neuilly sur Seine, Stéphane Couturier currently lives and works in Paris.
In 1994, Stéphane Couturier showed his first works in a series called 'Urban Archaeology', viewing the city as a living organism with multiple aspects. He photographed it deliberately avoiding anything that suggested poetry, nostalgia or strangeness. From 1999 on, Stéphane Couturier was increasingly drawn to suburbs and began to focus on a different type of landscape: on the one hand, by tackling housing blocks and high-rises in his 'Monuments' series; on the other, by photographing mushrooming housing developments.These generic cities soon became his favorite subject.
In 2002, the uniformity and repetitiveness of these landscapes around the world drove him to begin working on the concept of the polyptych: the combinations and interchangeability of each of the elements in a polyptych give rise to a play with 'Landscaping' (the title of a new series), with the spectator recomposing a landscape between reality and fiction.
With a new body of work called 'Melting Point', Couturier changed his visual approach in 2005. This series presents a Toyota assembly plant in Valenciennes (France). It also evolved with new subjects like the Indian city of Chandigarh built by Le Corbusier and the city of Brasilia built by Oscar Niemeyer from 2007 to 2010. In this new series, the silver salt clichés are scanned before the digitalized images obtained are superimposed two by two with the help of image-processing software. The technical and visual protocols put into play obey a visual and deliberate conceptual orientation — to divert the documentary aspect of photography, to shift and transcend its narrative dimension and to question its reputation as a beholder of truth.
Selected solo exhibitions
2023
"Construire par l’Image", Jeu de Paume, Le Cellier, Reims, France.
Galerie Christophe Gaillard, Brussels, Belgium
2022
"E-1027+123" Galerie Christophe Gaillard, Paris, France
2021
"Entrelacement" Galerie GRAF Notaires, Paris, France
"Stéphane Couturier" Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
2020
"Entrelacements" Repaire Urbain, Artothèque - Angers, France
"Monumental" Galerie Christophe Gaillard, Paris, France
"Transmutations" Arendt House, Luxembourg
"Les Nouveaux Constructeurs" Galerie Kornfeld, Berlin, Germany
2019
"Les Nouveaux Constructeurs" Galerie RX, Paris, France
Musée National Fernand Léger, Biot, France
2018
Festival Imags Singulières, photographic commission, Sète, France
2017
"Musée de la Photographie" Charleroi, Belgium
"So far So close" Galerie Kornfeld, Berlin, Germany
"Alger, Climat de France" Caen, France
„Stéphane Couturier. Rétrospective“ l'arTsenal, Dreux, France
2016
„Alger" Climat de France, Musée Nicéphore-Niépce, Chalon-sur-Saône, France
„Anaklasis" La Galerie Particulière, Paris, France
Paris Photo, Galerie Particulière Booth, Grand Palais, Paris, France
2015
„Stéphane Couturier" Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, France
„Stéphane Couturier" Kornfeld Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2014
„Melting Point, Institut Français" Fukuoka, Japan
„L’Œil Photographique,Franc Auvergne/CNAP, Franc 30th anniversary" Clermont-Ferrand, France
„La France : essai de portrait photographique”, 15th Photographic Art Exhibition" Lishui, China
2013
„Melting Point" Bildmuseet, Umeå Sweden
„Biennale photographique de SEDAN
" Sedan, France
2012
„Photographie et Video" Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
„Photographie et Video" Fondation Salomon, Annecy, France
„Théâtre de la Photo & de l'image" Nice, France
2011
„Melting Point" Landesgalerie Linz, Linz, Austria
Polaris Gallery, Paris, France
„Public Commission – Festival d’Avignon" Avignon, France
Landesgalerie, Linz, Austria
Espace A. Malraux, Colmar, France
2010
Ursula Blickle Stiftung, Kraichtal, Germany
2009
Musée des Beaux-Arts, Belfort, France
Les Douches – la galerie, Paris, France
2008
„Tinglado 2" Contemporary Art Center, Tarragona, Spain
„Brasilia – Vidéos" 104-Art Center, Paris, France
2007
Polaris Gallery, Paris, France
Centre Méditerranéen de la Photographie, Bastia (Corsica), France
2006
Van Kranendonk Gallery, Den Haag, Netherlands
Laurence Miller Gallery, New York, United States
Photo Biennial of Moscow, Moscow, Russia
Artothèque, Pessac, France
2005
Polaris Gallery, Paris, France
„Universal Exhibition" French Pavillion, Aichi, Japan
„Image / Image" L’Imprimerie, Orthez, France
2004
National Library, Paris, France
Forum für Zeitgenössische Fotografie, Cologne, Germany
Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, United States
Van Kranendonck Gallery, Den Haag, Netherlands
2003
Laurence Miller Gallery, New York, United States
Clairefontaine Gallery, Luxemburg
2002
University of California - Art Gallery , San Diego, United States
Musée Malraux, Le Havre, France
Conrads Gallery, Düsseldorf, Germany
Polaris Gallery, Paris, France
2001
Sollertis Gallery, Toulouse, France
Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie, Arles, France
Céramic Museum, Maastricht, Netherlands
Villa Noailles, Hyères, France
2000
Polaris Gallery, Paris, France
Laurence Miller Gallery, New York, United States
Lowe Art Museum, Miami, United States
Selected group exhibitions
2023
"L’épreuve de la matière", Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris, France
"Au milieu des Terres", Espace Culturel Mirabeau, Aix en Provence, France
"Les 40 ans de l’Artothèque de Vitré", Vitré, France
"L’eau et le diamant", Collection Société Générale, Paris La Défense, France
"Signatures", Galerie Christophe Gaillard, Brussels, Belgium
2022
"COLLECTION" Villa Médicis, Roma, Italy
"Corsica" Photaumnales, Beauvais, France
"Plus haut que les nues - 20e anniversaire du Prix Marcel Duchamp" FRAC Auvergne / La Canopée (Groupe Michelin), Clermont-Ferrand, France
2020
Paris Photo with Galerie Kornfeld, Berlin, Germany
2019
Installation Climat de France - Festival La Gacilly, Baden, Austria
"Connectivités" Video Climat de France MUCEM, Marseille, France
Frac Auvergne : Invention d’un monde – Collection Robelin, Clermont-Ferrand, France
2018
Regards Photos sur le Petit-Palais, Paris, France
Hôtel des Arts - Collection Bachelot, Toulon, France
"Vu d’Alger" Galerie Takako et JL Richard, Paris, France
"Climat de France" Festival Photo La Gacilly, La Gacilly, France
"Activité Permanente" BBB Centre d’Art, Toulouse, France
Imagerie Lannion 40 eme édition Estivales du Trégor, Lannion, France
"La Beauté des Lignes. Collection Gilman & Gonzalez-Falla" Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne, Switzerland
"La photographie française par J.L Monterosso" Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, France
2017
"Horizons" Abbaye de la Celle, Var, France
"Agoramania" MAIF Social Club, Paris, France
"Connectivités" (until November 2020) MUCEM, Marseille, France
"Paysages Français" BNF François Mitterrand, Paris, France
"AutoPhoto" Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain, Paris, France
"You Want Truth or Beauty?" Kunsthalle Nexus, Saalfelden, Germany
Supper Club, Galerie Kornfeld, Berlin, Germany
2016
„D’une méditérranée, l’autre" FRAC PACA, Marseille, France
„Avec eux ! - 30 ans d’histoire de collection" Artothèque de Caen, Caen, France
„Anonymats d’aujourd’hui" Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne, Switzerland
„Typologies et utopies urbaines" Domaine de Chamarande, France
„Festival du Regard" Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
„La tisserande des nuits : en suivant les fils et les plis dans la photographie contemporaine" La BOX - ENSA Bourges, France
2015
„Dimensions Variables - Artists and Architecture" Pavillon de l’Arsenal, Paris, France
„7th Lishui Photography Festival" Lishui, China
„Villes Africaines en Mouvement" AS.Architecture-Studio/CNAP, Venice Biennale, Italy
„20.000 lieux : Voyage dans les collections de la Société Générale et du LAAC" LAAC, Dunkerque, France
2014
„S'il y a lieu je pars avec vous" Le Bal, Paris
„Une photographie sous tension" la collection de Florence et Damien Bachelot
Musée Nicéphore Niéce,Chalon-sur-Saône, France
„Architecture(s)" Arthotèque de Vitré – France
2013
„Provence 2013
" Exposition inaugurale du Mucem das le cadre de Marseille, France
„Festival d'Avignon, Stéphane Couturier & Frédéric Nauczyciel
" Arles, France
„The Sea is my land
" Rome, Maxxi, Musée d'Art du XXI ème siècle, Italy
„Triennale d'AICHI
" Aichi, Japan
„De Sculptura
" Saltzburg Museum, Saltzburg, Germany
„Mutation" Escpace Louis Vuitton
ArtAsiaPacific, Hong kong
„Construire l'image - Le Corbusier et la Photographie
" CIVA, Brussels, Belgium
2011
„Highrise" Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich, Switzerland
„Opera Seria" Galerie Ruzicska, Salzbourg, Austria
„Pictet Prize" Passage de Retz (+ Tour in Europe), Paris, France
„Open-Frame 2" CRAC Languedoc-Roussillon, Sète, France
Art Center of Meymac, Meymac, France
„The Photographic object" Maison europ. de la Photo, Paris, France
„Vidéo Séoul-Tanji" Gaité Lyrique, Paris, France
2010
„Dreamlands" Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
„Recent acquisitions" Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
„Le meilleur des Mondes" MUDAM, Luxemburg
„10 years of M. Duchamp Price" Musée d’Art Moderne, Strasbourg, France
„Photography and Architecture Biennale" La Cambre, Brussels, Belgium
„Photobiennale" Musée d’Art Moderne, Moscow, Russia
„Poétique du Chantier" Musée-Château, Annecy, France
„Dialogue(s)" Couvent La Tourette, Eveux, France
„Paris-Moscou Photographies" Cité des Arts, Paris, France
2009
„Sté Générale collection" Centre de Création Contemporaine, Tours, France
„Le Havre–Brasilia" MAC de Niteroi + MAC de Brasilia, Brasil
„Auto - Sueno y materia Travel" Laboral centro de Arte, Spain
„E factory, e machine, e body" Centro d’arte La Panera, Spain
„Periferia – Biennale de Canary islands" Tenerife, Spain
„Projections constructives" Centre d’Art Micro-Onde, Vélizy, France
„Corse – Images d’un territoire" Musée de Jürmala, Latvia
2008
„Power of Photography" Sungkok Art Museum, Seoul, Korea
„Beyond the Iconic" Central Library, Los Angeles, United States
„Ceramics of CRAFT" Galerie P.A. Challier, Paris, France
„Portraits et Paysages" espace ING, Brussels, Belgium
„Urbanités" Galerie Les filles du calvaire, Paris, France
„Oikos – Habitacle Places" Galerie SBC, Montréal, Canada
2007
„recents purchases" Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
„Introduction to Art History" Blickle Stiftung, Kraichtal, Germany
„Du Machinique et du vivant" Xippas Gallery, Pacy sur Eure, France
„Pleins Phares" Musée de l’automobile, Mulhouse, France
Salomon Foundation, Baroquissimo, Annecy, France
Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lille 3000, Tourcoing, France
„Brasilia-Chandigarh-Le Havre" Musée Malraux, Le Havre, France
„Something to write home about" Stadsgalerij, Heerlen, Netherlands
„Le dur Labeur" Galerie du conseil Général, Aix-en-Provence, France
Sheldon Art Gallery, Saint Louis, United States
2006
International Center of Photo – Ecotopia, NY, United States
SanJosé Museum of Art - Suburban Escape, San José, United States
„Biennial of Photography" Sedan, France
„Spectacular city" N.A.I. Rotterdam, Netherlands
„Programme AFAA" Dialogues d'images, France
„Signes d'existence - exposition circulante" Beijing, China
2005
„Trienniale of photography" Seoul, Korea
„Times two" Laurence Miller Galerie, NY, United States
„Le temps Arrêté" Petit Château, La Ferté-Vidame, France
„Objectif Paris" Pavillon des Arts, Paris, France
„Sélest’Art - Biennial of Sélestat" Sélestat, France
2004
„De leur temps" Musée des Arts de Tourcoing, Tourcoing, France
„Yet Untitled" Nationale Fotomuseum, Copenhagen, Denmark
2003
„Archetypen" Landesgalerie, Linz, Austria
Photographic center of Skopelos, Greece
Gana Art Center, Seoul, Korea
Rencontres Photographiques, Pau - Orthez, France
„Oases" Laurence Miller Gallery, NY, United States
2002
„the same" Conrads Gallery, Düsseldorf, Germany
„Sight-set-sequence" Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, United States
„Vues d’Architectures" Grenoble Museum, Grenoble, France
Grants and commissions
2019
Prix Photographique Fondation des Treilles, France
2010
Public commission on Avignon festival of theatre, France
2007
Grant for research on city of Brasilia
2005
Public commission: 1% artistique
Hôtel des Finances - Vitry/seine, France
2003
Prix Niepce
1999
Grant of Ville de Paris / AFAA work on Moscow
1999
Prix Paris-Photo
1998
Programme à la carte AFAA, Dresde
1996/1997
Centre National des Arts Plastiques - Villa Noailles, Hyères
Collections
Cabinet des Estampes - Bibliothèque nationale, France
Fonds National d’Art Contemporain, France
Musée de l’Elysée – Lausanne, Switzerland
FRAC Auvergne, France
Deutsche Bank, Frankfurt, Germany
De Pont Foundation, Netherlands
Los Angeles County Museum, U.S.A.
Cleveland Art Museum, U.S.A.
Santa Barbara Museum of Art, U.S.A.
Maison Européenne de la Photographie, France
De Pont Foundation, Netherlands
FRAC Auvergne, France
Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain de Strasbourg, France
National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa), Canada
Musée Carnavalet, France
FRAC Alsace, France
FRAC Auvergne, France
Randstadt, Nederlands
Lowe Art Museum, U.S.A.
Art Institute of Chicago, U.S.A.
Fonds National d’Art Contemporain, France
Progressive Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.
LaSalle National Bank, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
Musée d’Art Contemporain de Brême, Germany
Banque et Caisse d’Epargne de l’Etat, Luxemburg
Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, U.S.A.
Goldman Sachs, New York, U.S.A.
Fonds National d’Art Contemporain, France
Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg
Musée de la Photographie de Charleroi, Belgium
National Gallery (Washington), U.S.A.
Los Angeles County Museum, U.S.A.
Gemeentemuseum, Netherlands
Collection La Fnac, France
Cabinet des Estampes - Bibliothèque Nationale, France
Musée Carnavalet, France
Fondation NSM Vie, France
Musée de La Roche sur Yon, France
Fondation Lhoist, Belgium
Saint-Louis Museum, U.S.A.
Fonds National d’Art Contemporain, France
Centre Georges Pompidou, France
Maison Européenne de la photographie, France
Caldic Collection Rotterdam, Netherlands
Fonds National d’Art Contemporain, France
Fondation NSM, France
Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Musée du Petit Palais - Musée des Beaux Arts, France
Bibliothèque Nationale de France, France
FRAC Franche-Comté, France
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Belfort, France
Museu Nacional da Republica – Brasilia, Brazil
Israel Museum – Jerusalem, Israël
Assemblée Nationale – Paris, France
