“Model roles” exhibition, which outlines the field of possibilities 50 years later

Between two tourist kiosks, it stands proudly on the corner of Rue de Seine and Rue de Buci, the beating heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The hotel of La Louisiana continues to write its legend, which is closely related to the legend of the district, when it was still the center of the artistic and intellectual life of Paris. A cradle of bohemia and feminism, it hosted Juliette Greco (romantic with Miles Davis), Simone de Beauvoir and even Amanda Lear (romantic with Salvador Dali), among other famous guests. It was therefore the perfect location for Matilda Thomas’s exhibition ‘Model Roles, Actresses of Possible Times’. Do we have the right to age when we’re actresses, she asks herself in these photographs that explore age and its depictions. “My goal was to show that a person can be creative, desirable and active at any age, if health allows,” explains Matilda Mark, who initially saw her project rejected by several galleries when she mentioned her models the age

“My heart and soul are stronger”

Ellie Medeiros, Françoise Fabian, Maria de Medeiros, among others, participated in this “sororal, intergenerational, transmission, inspiration project”. Here they are active in creation, in movement, expressing themselves through their body and gaze. Corinne Masiero appeared at the peak of glamor in a hotel bathroom. Liliane Rovere, star Ten percent , revealing her bare shoulders between large curtains. Valery Kaprisky dances on the roof of the hotel. And Christine City, who plays with a giant feather, finds the right words in a short video.

Matilda Mark likes to work “on the edge of reality and fiction”. After studying film, he developed his style based on references to the seventh art. In a fascinating off-camera play, his portraits tell stories as much as they reveal personality. With his models, connections are woven, history is guessed, parallel universes are opened. This is the case with his other series, Mise en fête, which presents “years of unique, costume parties accompanied by themes that each interprets in their own way” and Scènes vertes, which features artists from the world of nature burlesque. and trees.

So many examples that participate in the history of Louisiana – the history of literary, intellectual, open Paris, without fear of evenings where anything can happen.

Until October 6 at Hotel La Louisiana, 60 rue de Seine, 75006 Paris.