Florence and Damien Bachelot have been collectors for over 15 years.
The choices they make are highly personal, inspired by emotion or sudden passion. These seasoned collectors purchase works they find in international fairs, in galleries, in festivals or simply through their many encounters with artists. Many of the works in their collection reflect mankind’s vision of his environment and the manner in which he has transformed it.
The recurring themes they are drawn to express nostalgia for the passage of time and the ephemeral traces of human activity, revealing a contemplative, mysterious and meditative world.
"Ice crack in a frozen river" U.S.A. Bangor, Maine 2016 © Matt Black / Magnum Photos
The collection houses prints by many celebrated photographers: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Lewis Hine, Saul Leiter… as well as several lesser-known figures in 20th-century photography.
Their selection focuses above all on rare vintage prints but also on groups or series by the same author, which allow a better understanding of a photographer’s vision. The couple’s passion has also led them to support and encourage young artists whose work they admire.
Focusing on the contemporary period of this vast collection, starting in 2000, the Salon de la Photo wishes to honour these passionate collectors who, unaffected by the influence of fashion, accompany both French and international photographic creation. Florence and Damien Bachelot, while encouraging and supporting photographers in their personal projects, also share, through generous loans, the wealth and future of present-day photography.
"Leonardo with his grandfather" palazzo Papadopoli, Venezia, 2010 © Nan Goldin