“Patrick Faigenbaum at the Cristallerie Saint‑Louis”

2024
“Patrick Faigenbaum at the Cristallerie Saint-Louis”
Patrick Faigenbaum, 2022, courtesy of the artist © Patrick Faigenbaum
Exhibition view, “Patrick Faigenbaum at the Cristallerie Saint-Louis”, 2024, La Grande Place © Olivier H Drancy / Fondation d’entreprise Hermès
Exhibition view, “Patrick Faigenbaum at the Cristallerie Saint-Louis”, 2024, La Grande Place © Olivier H Drancy / Fondation d’entreprise Hermès
Exhibition view, “Patrick Faigenbaum at the Cristallerie Saint-Louis”, 2024, La Grande Place © Olivier H Drancy / Fondation d’entreprise Hermès
Exhibition view, “Patrick Faigenbaum at the Cristallerie Saint-Louis”, 2024, La Grande Place © Olivier H Drancy / Fondation d’entreprise Hermès
Patrick Faigenbaum, 2022, courtesy of the artist © Patrick Faigenbaum
Patrick Faigenbaum, 2022, courtesy of the artist © Patrick Faigenbaum
Patrick Faigenbaum, 2022, courtesy de l’artiste © Patrick Faigenbaum
Patrick Faigenbaum, 2022, courtesy of the artist © Patrick Faigenbaum
Patrick Faigenbaum, 2022, courtesy of the artist © Patrick Faigenbaum
Patrick Faigenbaum, 2022, courtesy of the artist © Patrick Faigenbaum
With its straightforward title, the exhibition “Patrick Faigenbaum at the Cristallerie Saint-Louis” features images created by the French photographer both within the workshop and in the surrounding area. With an eye honed by the study of the history of painting, he has sought to explore the territory from which the Cristallerie emerged, as well as the skills that are passed on from one generation to the next inside the workshop, as well as the exceptional pieces produced by its craftspeople.

It was a set of glasses that first led Faigenbaum to Saint-Louis. In his childhood he was fascinated by a multicoloured set of roemers (Alsatian white wine glasses) from the Tommy collection that his aunt had received as a wedding present, so in 2022 photographer Patrick Faigenbaum undertook a residency at the Cristallerie Saint-Louis where they were made. Over the course of his successive stays at the site, he took a series of photographs that are now on display at La Grande Place, inside the workshop itself. There, the images interact with the historical collections of the Cristallerie, which include the Tommy glasses of his childhood.

Soberly entitled Patrick Faigenbaum at the Cristallerie Saint-Louis, the exhibition features a selection of prints and two slide shows dedicated to the centuries-old craft unique to this site and its settings. Combining a documentary approach with a mastery of composition, Patrick Faigenbaum has taken a particular interest in the environment of the Vosges du Nord, whose abundant natural resources spurred on the creation of glassworks in the 16th century. His approach also highlights the many skills that glassmakers continue to pass down from one generation to the next: the same gestures captured by Faigenbaum's lens are used day in, day out, amidst the continuous hum of the workshop. 

A number of the images play upon the historical echoes that resonate within La Grande Place by presenting compositions of glasses from different periods. Whilst studying the extensive collections of the museum, particular pieces caught the photographer's eye with their craftsmanship, colours and shapes. According to Jean-François Chevrier, curator of the exhibition and Patrick Faigenbaum's collaborator since 1990, "accumulated and arranged in the archives, the objects constitute a whole world, analogous to the surrounding landscape. Patrick has taken up the enchanting power of crystalware at the same time as paying close attention to the work of the craftspeople."

A major artist on the contemporary photography scene, Patrick Faigenbaum, (b. 1954) was awarded the Prix Henri Cartier-Bresson in 2013.

Disciplines
Photography
Lieu
La Grande Place
Saint-Louis-lès-Bitche
France
This exhibition at the Cristallerie features images created by Patrick Faigenbaum during his successive stays at the workshop.
This approach further highlights the many skills glassmakers continue to pass down from one generation to the next.
Some images play upon the historical echoes that resonate within La Grande Place by presenting compositions of glasses from different periods.

Information

  • Exhibition date

    “Patrick Faigenbaum at the Cristallerie Saint-Louis”,
    exhibition open from June 11 to December 29, 2024

  • Practical information

    La Grande Place, Musée Saint-Louis
    Rue Coëtlosquet – 57620 Saint-Louis-lès-Bitche

    Daily (except Mondays and December 25) 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

    Contact: accueil.musee@saint-louis.com 
    +33 (0)3 87 06 64 70

    Learn more

See also