Marie-Claude Deffarge & Gordian Troeller - Keine Bilder zum Träumen

Show & Culture

Marie-Claude Deffarge (1924–1984) and Gordian Troeller (1917–2003) were two exceptional figures in European journalism. Natives of France and Luxembourg respectively, they worked as a team for many decades, informing millions in Germany, Luxembourg, France, and other countries about world crises through their photo reports and films. The Troeller / Deffarge brand is at the center of this exhibition, organized on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Marie-Claude Deffarge’s birth. In the second half of the 20th century, their highly recognized and controversial work contributed to debates about revolutions, development aid, and feminism. The polyglot duo always treated the people across the five continents they covered as equals—people whose lives were shaped by colonization and globalization. They challenged the political certainties of their time and stood against sensationalist journalism, aiming to reduce Eurocentrism and promote intercultural understanding. This exhibition unites Deffarge & Troeller’s photographic and film oeuvre in a museum context. Their extensive archive, preserved at the Museum Folkwang and the Centre national de l’audiovisuel (CNA), offers valuable insight into the roots of current economic crises, refugee movements, environmental destruction, and discrimination. The exhibition retraces their path from the 1950s onwards through their projects and recurring themes. For the Luxembourg presentation, the exhibition has been redesigned for the Pomhouse, with expanded emphasis on the connection between Gordian Troeller and Luxembourg.