The exhibition of the photobook named “Love on the Left Bank” by Dutch photographer Ed van der Elsken (1925-1990)  will take place at Poligon between 11 April-11 May 2013 in cooperation with Schaden.com Photobookstudies publications from Netherlands.

“L’enfant terrible” of Dutch photography, Ed van der Elsken was a talented photographer and film-maker who expressed his encounters with people in photos, photo books and films for more than 40 years.  In 1950, Ed van der Elsken left for Paris, where he found “kindred spirits” in a group of dropouts in the neighborhood of St. Germain des Prés. The photography book that resulted is not only regarded as the peak of his work but is also internationally recognized as one of the most extraordinary photography books of the 20th century, as it is the first one using the format of a photo novel.

The Schaden.com PHOTOBOOKSTUDIES initially started out as a workshop at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne and turned into a series of exhibitions that highlight the role of the photo book as medium of artistic expression. In the break-down of Ed van der Elsken‘s seminal book, Markus Schaden, Frederic Lezmi and Nina Poppe have carried out a study of the history of the influence, genesis, and editions of this exceptional photography book. “The exhibition does not display any vintage prints, white cubes or minimalist exhibition design” says Markus Schaden. The notes and comments scribbled with white chalk directly on the black wall will be in English and Turkish.

 Poligon – “The Shooting Gallery”:

Poligon is Empire Project’s new studio gallery where artists are encouraged to take risks and share their works, rejecting an over-commercialized art scene that does not support experimentation. Poligon by it’s very nature is an space for experimentation and breaking frame, a spring board to get back to the joy and fundamentals of Art.