Pierre-Olivier
Deschamps

Pierre-Olivier Deschamps

biography

French photographer, member of Agence VU’ since 1986, lives and works mainly in Paris.

First a theater photographer and studio assistant, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps’ work is quickly published by the daily newspaper Libération. In 1986 he joins Agence VU’: as one of the very first members, he participates in the development of a new type of reportage that defines the photographer as an author and not simply an image producer.

For the past fifteen years, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps devotes himself more particularly to design, art craft, architecture and urban landscape in all its forms – whatever the style, use or condition. The sharpness of his eye and his technical skills allow him to overcome the constraints of representation and underline its challenges, beyond simple photographic recording.

His work thus evolves with subtlety between long-term personal projects, commissioned work and institutional collaborations. Among other major projects, he documented La Samaritaine rehabilitation project, the future sites of Grand Paris network project, or the collections of the Musée des Confluences.

Winner of a World Press Photo prize in 2010 for his serie “Résidence”, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps published “Architectures” (les éditions du Chêne et Arte éditions, 2007), “Maisons d’architectes à Paris” (La Martinière, 2010), “Architectures et paysages industriels, l’invention d’un patrimoine” (La Martinière 2012), “L’usage des jours” (Éditions Bernard Chauveau, 2012),  “Musée des Confluences, une collection” (Actes Sud, 2017) and “Les Franciscaines – Deauville” (Editions des falaises, 2021).

Series

Behind the Altar of Notre-Dame, 2024

Serie | For over a year, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps has been following Guillaume Bardet's work on the new liturgical furniture for Notre-Dame de Paris.

D-Day Landing beaches, 2024

Series| On the eve of the 80th anniversary of Operation Overlord, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps travelled to Normandy to photograph the landing beaches.

The Samaritaine, 2021

Series | Since 2013, the photographer Pierre-Olivier Deschamps has been following the progress of the titanic restoration project of The Samaritaine, in the heart of Paris.

CMN Villers-Cotterêts Castle, 2020

Series | Pierre-Olivier Deschamps has a carte blanche to follow and document the evolution of the site, futur heart of the French language.

Epernay Museum, 2020

Series | Since 2018, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps has been documenting the transformation of the castle into a museum.

Les Franciscaines, Deauville, 2020

Series | Pierre-Olivier Deschamps is following the evolution of the great project of the Franciscaines which began in January 2018.

The « Grand Paris » Project, 2020

Série| Pierre-Olivier Deschamps captures the areas of the future Grand Paris Express train stations before and after the construction sites were built.

Confluences, 2017

Series | An exclusive photographic inventory of the Confluence museum's collections, Lyon.

Industrial heritage, 2012

Series | Long ignored, even despised, industrial buildings have been arousing interest and recognition in France over the last few years.

Hidden Versailles, 2011

Series | Pierre-Olivier Deschamps brings to light what was conceived to remain in the shadows thereby revealing the hidden side and part of the secrets of Louis XIV's palace.

Residency, 2010

Series | Now a days in Paris, traces of shelter arranged by the street to a humanity in the margins.

Architects houses, 2010

Series | Pierre-Olivier offers visits, sometimes unpublished, of houses built by architects from the 1920s to the present day, in Paris and the Paris region.

RMN Grand Palais, 2009

Series | In collaboration with the Grand Palais and the RMN, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps followed the mounting of the exhibition Picasso and the Masters in 2008 and The great world of Andy Warhol in 2009.

Museum of Modern Art of Luxembourg, 2006

Série| Carte blanche offered to Pierre-Olivier Deschamps by the Museum of Modern Art of Luxembourg to follow the construction of the Museum designed by I.M. Pei.

Architectures, 2006

Series | Ten architects and as many questions and problems solved in a personal way each time, an invitation to develop a vision of architecture.

Renault factory on Ile Seguin, 2003

Series | During the winter of 2003, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps took a series of pictures inside the former Renault factory located on the Ile Seguin, a testimony of a disused industrial cathedral.

Shadow in Japan, 1991

Series | From the reading of Tanizaki's essay, "The praise of the shadow" to a travel to Japan.

Fort Nieulay, 1987

Series | This report was commissioned by the Museum of Fine Arts and the Centre de Développement Culturel de Calais. It was produced as part of the operation of Social Development of the suburbs carried out by the City of Calais on the Fort Nieulay district.

Behind the Altar of Notre-Dame, 2024

Serie | For over a year, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps has been following Guillaume Bardet's work on the new liturgical furniture for Notre-Dame de Paris.

D-Day Landing beaches, 2024

Series| On the eve of the 80th anniversary of Operation Overlord, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps travelled to Normandy to photograph the landing beaches.

The Samaritaine, 2021

Series | Since 2013, the photographer Pierre-Olivier Deschamps has been following the progress of the titanic restoration project of The Samaritaine, in the heart of Paris.

CMN Villers-Cotterêts Castle, 2020

Series | Pierre-Olivier Deschamps has a carte blanche to follow and document the evolution of the site, futur heart of the French language.

Epernay Museum, 2020

Series | Since 2018, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps has been documenting the transformation of the castle into a museum.

Les Franciscaines, Deauville, 2020

Series | Pierre-Olivier Deschamps is following the evolution of the great project of the Franciscaines which began in January 2018.

The « Grand Paris » Project, 2020

Série| Pierre-Olivier Deschamps captures the areas of the future Grand Paris Express train stations before and after the construction sites were built.

Confluences, 2017

Series | An exclusive photographic inventory of the Confluence museum's collections, Lyon.

Industrial heritage, 2012

Series | Long ignored, even despised, industrial buildings have been arousing interest and recognition in France over the last few years.

Hidden Versailles, 2011

Series | Pierre-Olivier Deschamps brings to light what was conceived to remain in the shadows thereby revealing the hidden side and part of the secrets of Louis XIV's palace.

Residency, 2010

Series | Now a days in Paris, traces of shelter arranged by the street to a humanity in the margins.

Architects houses, 2010

Series | Pierre-Olivier offers visits, sometimes unpublished, of houses built by architects from the 1920s to the present day, in Paris and the Paris region.

RMN Grand Palais, 2009

Series | In collaboration with the Grand Palais and the RMN, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps followed the mounting of the exhibition Picasso and the Masters in 2008 and The great world of Andy Warhol in 2009.

Museum of Modern Art of Luxembourg, 2006

Série| Carte blanche offered to Pierre-Olivier Deschamps by the Museum of Modern Art of Luxembourg to follow the construction of the Museum designed by I.M. Pei.

Architectures, 2006

Series | Ten architects and as many questions and problems solved in a personal way each time, an invitation to develop a vision of architecture.

Renault factory on Ile Seguin, 2003

Series | During the winter of 2003, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps took a series of pictures inside the former Renault factory located on the Ile Seguin, a testimony of a disused industrial cathedral.

Shadow in Japan, 1991

Series | From the reading of Tanizaki's essay, "The praise of the shadow" to a travel to Japan.

Fort Nieulay, 1987

Series | This report was commissioned by the Museum of Fine Arts and the Centre de Développement Culturel de Calais. It was produced as part of the operation of Social Development of the suburbs carried out by the City of Calais on the Fort Nieulay district.

Behind the Altar of Notre-Dame, 2024

Serie | For over a year, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps has been following Guillaume Bardet's work on the new liturgical furniture for Notre-Dame de Paris.

D-Day Landing beaches, 2024

Series| On the eve of the 80th anniversary of Operation Overlord, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps travelled to Normandy to photograph the landing beaches.

The Samaritaine, 2021

Series | Since 2013, the photographer Pierre-Olivier Deschamps has been following the progress of the titanic restoration project of The Samaritaine, in the heart of Paris.

CMN Villers-Cotterêts Castle, 2020

Series | Pierre-Olivier Deschamps has a carte blanche to follow and document the evolution of the site, futur heart of the French language.

Epernay Museum, 2020

Series | Since 2018, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps has been documenting the transformation of the castle into a museum.

Les Franciscaines, Deauville, 2020

Series | Pierre-Olivier Deschamps is following the evolution of the great project of the Franciscaines which began in January 2018.

The « Grand Paris » Project, 2020

Série| Pierre-Olivier Deschamps captures the areas of the future Grand Paris Express train stations before and after the construction sites were built.

Confluences, 2017

Series | An exclusive photographic inventory of the Confluence museum's collections, Lyon.

Industrial heritage, 2012

Series | Long ignored, even despised, industrial buildings have been arousing interest and recognition in France over the last few years.

Hidden Versailles, 2011

Series | Pierre-Olivier Deschamps brings to light what was conceived to remain in the shadows thereby revealing the hidden side and part of the secrets of Louis XIV's palace.

Residency, 2010

Series | Now a days in Paris, traces of shelter arranged by the street to a humanity in the margins.

Architects houses, 2010

Series | Pierre-Olivier offers visits, sometimes unpublished, of houses built by architects from the 1920s to the present day, in Paris and the Paris region.

RMN Grand Palais, 2009

Series | In collaboration with the Grand Palais and the RMN, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps followed the mounting of the exhibition Picasso and the Masters in 2008 and The great world of Andy Warhol in 2009.

Museum of Modern Art of Luxembourg, 2006

Série| Carte blanche offered to Pierre-Olivier Deschamps by the Museum of Modern Art of Luxembourg to follow the construction of the Museum designed by I.M. Pei.

Architectures, 2006

Series | Ten architects and as many questions and problems solved in a personal way each time, an invitation to develop a vision of architecture.

Renault factory on Ile Seguin, 2003

Series | During the winter of 2003, Pierre-Olivier Deschamps took a series of pictures inside the former Renault factory located on the Ile Seguin, a testimony of a disused industrial cathedral.

Shadow in Japan, 1991

Series | From the reading of Tanizaki's essay, "The praise of the shadow" to a travel to Japan.

Fort Nieulay, 1987

Series | This report was commissioned by the Museum of Fine Arts and the Centre de Développement Culturel de Calais. It was produced as part of the operation of Social Development of the suburbs carried out by the City of Calais on the Fort Nieulay district.

Interviews

ARTE / Le dessous des images
Broadcast on 30 September 2024, presented by Sonia Devillers
—
In its programme ‘Le Dessous des images’, Arte devoted an episode to the front page of Libération, with a portrait of Jane Birkin, photographed by Pierre-Olivier Deschamps.

‘On 17 July 2023, France mourned Jane Birkin while the press unleashed its obituaries. The daily ‘Libération’ wrote a black and white farewell with a full-page portrait of the actress. Lionel Charrier, the daily’s photo editor, explains how the editorial team came up with the front page dedicated to Jane Birkin.

Interview of Pierre-Olivier Deschamps “My Samaritaine 2015”
Elqui Films
—
Interview by Elqui Films, 2015

Interview with the photographer Pierre-Olivier Deschamps about his photographs of the Samaritaine.

ExHIBitions

Le Musée ! Regards photographiques
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Musée de vin de Champagne et d’Archéologie régionale d’Epernay (FRANCE)
—
From May 4 to October 31, 2022

More informations

Architecture et photographie
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Galerie Caue 92, Nanterre (FRANCE)
—
From April 06 to April 29, 2017

More informations

L’ici et maintenant
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MAC VAL, Vitry sur Seine (FRANCE)
—
From June 13 to September 20, 2015

More informations

Books

Confluences Museum

Actes Sud - 2017

Use of the days

Bernard Chauveau - 2012

Architectures

Editions du Chêne, 2007

Confluences Museum

Actes Sud - 2017

Use of the days

Bernard Chauveau - 2012

Architectures

Editions du Chêne, 2007

Confluences Museum

Actes Sud - 2017

Use of the days

Bernard Chauveau - 2012

Architectures

Editions du Chêne, 2007

awards

World Press Photo – Contemporary Issues, Singles, 1st Prize (Netherlands)

For his photograph “France Residence: Avenue des Champs Elysées, Paris”

2010

National Center of Photography “Moins trente”Award (France)

For his Marrocan travel journal

1987