De haut en bas : Défilé de mode, Paris, 1989 Fête catholique des Saints Alfio et Filadelfo, Trecatagni, Sicile, Italie, 1963 Les ghâts, Bénarès, Inde, 1972 Marpessa en Dolce & Gabbana, Villa Palagonia, Bagheria, Italie, 1987 Polizzi Generosa, Sicile, 1964

24 June – 11 October 2009 For the first time in France, the Maison Européenne de la Photographie presents a retrospective of the work of Italian photographer Ferdinando Scianna, who is also a journalist and writer. The exhibition presents a selection of 120 photographs from several series made from the 1960s onwards, and which have formed the basis for several books including Feste religiosi in Sicilia, Marpessa, Dormire, les Siciliens and Mondo Bambino. Born in Sicily, Ferdinando Scianna first came to the attention of the public when he was 21 years old thanks to Feste religiose in Sicilia, a book he produced with the writer Leonardo Sciascia. In a style close to Italian neo-realism, it documents the fervour of religious festivals in Sicily. The book was awarded a distinction at the 1966 Nadar Awards. Employed by the magazine l’Europeo, he moved to Milan and then Paris as the magazine’s correspondent. Ferdinando Scianna produced many press articles but continued to photograph his native Sicily, giving us images that are both light and dark, reflecting the ambivalence of his relationship with the island, a mixture of passion and clear-sighted detachment. He began taking fashion photographs in 1987 following a commission from Dolce & Gabanna, who were then unknown. Marpessa was his first model, and he photographed her in the streets of Sicily and later elsewhere in the world. From this meeting also came a book, Marpessa,which reflects his passionate interest in both photographic staging and reportage. At the same time he joined the Magnum agency thanks to his friend and master Henri Cartier-Bresson. His career was deeply influenced by meetings with remarkable people: his unique photographic style would not have developed without photographers and writers such as Leonardo Sciascia, Jorge Luis Borges, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Claude Ambroise, Mario Giacomelli, Milan Kundera, Elliott Erwitt, Paola Bergna and others. A former student of literature and philosophy at Palermo University, Scianna is passionate about literature; books are the natural medium for his photographs, which he likes to show alongside a text by one of his writer friends. Always reluctant to explain his images, he prefers to paraphrase those who worked in parallel using their own words. This exhibition is a notable exception, including as it does his own memories and thoughts on his work and career. For Ferdinando Scianna, photography is a way of being part of life. Organised thematically, this exhibition is designed to provide an insight into this approach. Guided visits : Guided visits are available for subscribers, groups and schools. For details, see "Public Events/Guided Visits". Films : For the first time in France, the MEP presents a film on Ferdinando Scianna every Saturday and Sunday at 4 pm. For more information, see "Current Events /Films". Catalogue : A catalogue is available, published by Contrasto. For more information, see "Books and films/Books".