Exposition « Objectif Liberté ! »

The Bartholdi Museum in Colmar is presenting a unique photographic exhibition marking two major anniversaries: the 140th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty and the 200th anniversary of the invention of photography.

The exhibition, Objective Liberty!, explores the concept of freedom through a series of photographs taken by Patrick Bailly-Maître-Grand during the restoration of the Statue of Liberty in New York in 1985. In dialogue with these images, pupils from Molière Secondary School in Colmar offer their own perspective on this universal value, creating a bridge between Bartholdi’s legacy and the reflections of younger generations.

Two Anniversaries

It was in France that Nicéphore Niépce produced the first permanent photograph in history, dating from 1826 and marking the invention of photography.

One hundred and forty years ago, on 28 October 1886, the Statue of Liberty was officially inaugurated in New York Harbour, United States.

These anniversaries also coincide with the addition to the museum’s collections of four modern daguerreotypes created by Patrick Bailly-Maître-Grand from views taken during the restoration of the Statue of Liberty in 1985.

The artist, born in 1945 and living and working in Strasbourg, donated these photographs to the museum in 2025. They complement a collection of silver gelatin prints from the same series, acquired by the City of Colmar at the time of the Statue’s centenary.

The exhibition presents the artist’s Statue of Liberty series, the photographic techniques employed, and the context in which the work was produced.

The exhibition has been awarded the “Bicentenary of Photography” label by the French Ministry of Culture.

Educational Project

The museum will also present a dialogue between the works of Patrick Bailly-Maître-Grand and photographs produced by pupils from the Year 9 photography specialisation class at Molière Secondary School in Colmar, centred on the theme of freedom.

The pupils were guided by Colmar-based photographers Vanessa and Vijay Moselle, who led the photographic sessions and supervised the image-processing work.

The exhibition opening will take place on Wednesday 1 July at 6.00 pm and will place particular emphasis on the work produced by the pupils.