We are pleased to invite you to the public opening reception:

Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 6 pm

What does flash do to images and our perception of the world? With numerous major pieces – from Félix Nadar’s early experiments with flash to the contemporary work of British photographer Martin Parr, via the iconic work of American photographer Weegee – this exhibition explores in a unique way some of the significant visual transformations produced by flash. Throughout history, flash and artificial lighting have shed light on what cannot be seen, or cannot be seen clearly, and have played a major role in the visual construction of new worlds that were previously unknown. In the catacombs of 19th-century Paris, on the scene of night-time murders in New York, or among paparazzi scrutinising movie stars, the flash plays a central role. From the first experimental magnesium flashes to the electronic flash, successive technical inventions have made it possible to create new representations, opening up a different experience of reality.

Produced and designed by the Swiss Camera Museum, the exhibition is being staged in collaboration with French magazine Photographica, which is devoting an issue to flash photography in autumn 2025.