What are young photographers up to in the twenty-first century? How do they see the world? How much do they respect, build on or reject tradition? As the digital revolution continues its relentless advance, demolishing longstanding practices in every domain of our field, curiosity builds as to how the new generation of photographers will react. Will some remain in the darkroom, or will they all migrate to the digital lab? The reGeneration project—the broadest and most enterprising survey of its kind—set out in 2005 to discover answers to these intriguing questions, previewing the work of young photographers who may well emerge as some of the finest artists of their generation. Following on from the success of this exhibition shown in ten different cities across North America, Europe and Asia, this second edition turns the spotlight on up-and-coming talents from thirty countries.

Curators at the world-renowned Musée de l’Elysée in Lausanne selected the most promising candidates from some seven hundred entries submitted by one hundred and twenty of the world’s top photography schools. ReGeneration2 showcases the inspiring creativity and ingenuity of eighty photographers about to begin a career. Together, they represent forty-eight photography and art schools from twenty-five different countries. The resulting exhibition reveals the flexibility of young photographers as they pass fluidly from one genre to another, and/or one technique to another. Impressive also is their mobility: one finds a European student in China, a Japanese student in the United States, and a Peruvian student in Europe, to name a few. These youthful practitioners of extraordinary talent are already well on their way to making their mark.

William Ewing and Nathalie Herschdorfer

Nathalie Herschdorfer, exhibition curator.

www.elysee.ch

Exhibition organised by the Musée de l’Élysée, Lausanne, with the support of their sponsor Jaeger-Lecoultre and of Pro Helvetia.