“JE RÊVAIS D’UN AUTRE MONDE”

Opening: 10 October 2026 at 11.00 am.

Part #1: 10 October 2026 to 3 January 2027
Curator: Keren Detton, Director of Frac Grand Large..

This project has been awarded the ‘Bicentenary of Photography’ label by the Ministry of Culture and forms part of the official programme for the Bicentenary, running from 1 September 2026 to 30 September 2027.

It is being carried out in partnership with the Institut pour la Photographie and Château Coquelle.

Etymologically speaking, the word ‘photography’ derives from the Greek: ‘photo’ (light) and ‘graphie’ (to write). To write or describe using light – this is the ambition, or indeed the revolution, that this invention has offered for almost two centuries. As part of the celebrations marking the bicentenary of photography, the Frac Grand Large is delving into its collections, in collaboration with the Hauts-de-France Institute of Photography, to showcase this vast field of photographic exploration and expression centred on light. 

From the earliest photosensitive materials to electronic sensors with the advent of digital technology, mastering light and lighting has been an essential aspect of photography, from the moment the shot is taken right through to post-production.

The various qualities of light, whether natural or artificial – direct or indirect, diffused or reflected, intense or soft, warm or cool – all help to define the atmosphere of the photographed scene. Contrasts, the interplay of light and shadow, the use of flash, and atmospheric compositions inspired by the advertising or film industries are all key elements in shaping the viewer’s subjective experience, encouraging us to see the world in a different light.

Launched in 1983, the Frac Grand Large collection is expanded each year with new acquisitions, the majority of which are photographic works. It now comprises more than 400 catalogued works dating from 1932 to the present day, and showcases the creative endeavours of artists who explore diverse and distinctive paths. Bringing together a diverse range of creative explorers, conceptual artists and visual photographers, and featuring over a hundred photographic works, the exhibition ‘I Dreamed of Another World’ creates new dialogues and points of friction between the works, revealing both the creative processes behind them and the ideals and contradictions that underpin them. Whilst drawing on the origins of photography as a means of recording light, this exhibition serves as a gateway between the real world and the world of dreams.

This exhibition is presented in three parts:

Part #1: 10 October 2026 to 3 January 2027
Curator: Keren Detton, Director of the Frac Grand Large.

Part #2: 30 January to 16 May 2027 (closed from 5 to 16 April)
Curator: Anne Lacoste, Director of the Institut pour la photographie

Part #3: 5 June to 29 August 2027
Curators: collaborative project.

In contrast, the Frac Grand Large Photography Collection is on display at Château Coquelle in Dunkirk in the exhibition « JE RÊVAIS D’UN AUTRE MONDE… EN LUTTE ! » from 25 September 2026 to 27 March 2027.