​​ON VIEW

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DAVID LACHAPELLE
GRAND ÉTABLISSEMENT THERMAL DE VICHY

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JULIA GAT

YOHANNE LAMOULÈRE

LA VOIX DU REGARD

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PAUL GRAHAM

DES MOTS POUR VOIR COLLECTION NEUFLIZE OBC

 

CABINE STUDIO HARCOURT

A POST-PORTRAIT, FROM NIÉPCE TO TODAY

COLLECTIONS OF MUSÉE NICEPHORE NIÉPCE

 

PATRICK TOURNEBOEUF

 

About the Portrait(s) Festival

Created in 2013 by the City of Vichy, Portrait(s) is the only photography festival in France exclusively dedicated to the art of the portrait. From June to October, the Grand Établissement Thermal, the Parc des Sources, and emblematic spaces of the spa town host monumental outdoor and indoor exhibitions, artist residencies, and mediation programs. With nearly 57,000 visitors per edition, Portrait(s) has become an unmissable event in contemporary photography.​

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Since 2013, every summer, the city of Vichy transforms into a vast open-air photographic trail. Portrait(s), the photographic rendezvous of the City of Vichy, is the only festival in France exclusively dedicated to the art of the portrait. From June to early October, exhibitions take over the most emblematic locations of the spa town, blending exceptional architectural heritage with contemporary photographic creation.

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The Grand Établissement Thermal, the Festival's Showcase

The centerpiece of the festival, the Grand Établissement Thermal, a majestic building inaugurated in 1903, hosts the main monographic exhibition each year. This listed building, a jewel of thermal architecture, offers a spectacular setting for major retrospectives dedicated to internationally renowned photographers. Among the artists who have exhibited there: Denis Rouvre, Sarah Moon, Liu Bolin, Nadav Kander, Isabel Muñoz, and for the 2026 edition, David LaChapelle.

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2026: David LaChapelle and the Bicentennial of Photography

The 14th edition of Portrait(s), from June 19 to October 4, 2026, promises to be exceptional. The Grand Établissement Thermal will host a major retrospective of David LaChapelle, with over 100 works spanning four decades of creation. In parallel, the festival will celebrate the Bicentennial of Photography (2026-2027), in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and the Musée Nicéphore Niépce, through an unprecedented exhibition on the Lac d'Allier esplanade.

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An Exhibition Trail Throughout the City

Beyond the Grand Établissement Thermal, Portrait(s) spreads throughout the city:

• The Lac d'Allier esplanade: monumental outdoor photographic exhibitions, accessible to all

• The Parc des Sources: photographic installations in one of Vichy's most beautiful parks

• The Halle des Sources: indoor exhibitions in this heritage site

• The Vichy University Center: exhibitions and artist residencies

• The Station forecourt: a photographic entry point for visitors

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Artist Residencies and Cultural Mediation

The festival is not limited to exhibitions. It develops an ambitious program of photographic residencies, inviting artists to create on-site, in connection with the territory and its inhabitants. The mediation programs — La Voix du Regard, Des Mots pour voir, Portrait(s) s'invite à l'école — demonstrate a strong commitment to transmitting and educating through images, reaching all audiences, from schoolchildren to enlightened amateurs.​

 

 

About the Exhibition:

Portrait(s) invites David LaChapelle to the Grand établissement thermal de Vichy for an exhibition of around a hundred colourful works retracing his entire artistic career, from his early figurative compositions and fashion images to the celebrity portraits and allegorical creations that brought him fame.

 

Standing at the crossroads of art, pop culture and spirituality, the exhibition also reveals a monumental series of works inspired by classical fresco techniques. This vast showcase is the first since a 2009 event dedicated to the artist by the Monnaie de Paris and will celebrate 40 years of his work.

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Exhibition supported by Cinq Étoiles Productions