Summer Expo by William Ropp at Louise Gallery 2024.
“DREAMT MEMORIES OF AFRICA”.
William Ropp was born in 1960 and now lives in Nancy.
William began his career in the theatre, co-founding the “Théâtre X” company.
In 1988, he took a highly successful series of black and white photographs of human figures reflected in distorting mirrors. Several books followed.
In 1993, he became interested in uncontrolled postures, plunging his subjects into darkness in a studio and ‘painting’ their outlines with a beam of light. This intrusion of light created a twist of the shapes by accident.
In 2007, he took a complete break from studio work and produced a powerfully dreamlike series of photographs of children in Africa.
The book “Dreamt memories from Africa” followed.
As a teacher afterwards, he was running workshops around the world.
He started working with coloured images in 2010, revisiting the same themes and taking inspiration from classical paintings. In 2012 The Musee de la Photography in Belgium and the Maison Européennne de la Photographie in Paris organized jointly a succesful rétrospective exhibition
The book “William Ropp 20 years of Photography” was launched for this occasion.
Today, his works form part of some of the greatest public collections
ACQUISITIONS by musems & famous collections (amongst others):
The Museum of Fine Art, Houston (USA)
The Snite Museum of Art (US) Indiana
Musée de la Photographie Charleroi (Belgium)
Museo de Arte Moderno de Vitoria Artium (Spain)
Maison Européenne pour la Photographie, Paris (France)
MUDAAC
Michael Horbach Foundation
Museet for Fotokunst, Odense (Denmark)
Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne (Switzerland)
The New York Public Library, (the Spencer Collection), New York
Musée Civico Farnese, Piacenza (Italy)
Musée Ken Damy, Brescia (Italy)
Galerie Robert Doisneau , Vandoeuvre (France)
Musée Vamn Reekum, Apildoorn (Holland)
The Polaroid Collection (USA)
Galerie du Château d’eau, Toulouse (France)
Fotomuseum in Mölkau, Leipzig (Germany)
Manfred Heiting collection
Bill Hunt (the dancing bear )
Allan Chasanoff Collection
Jo Baio collection
James Maloney collection
INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS (Extract)
Musée des Beaux Arts Nancy Octobre 2024
Festival international de Photographie Arles 2024
Gallery VU Paris Nov 2023
Original Song Gallery Shanghai August Sept 2023
Musée d’Art Comtemporain et ancien Epinal Mai 2022
Gallery STP Mars 2022 Greifswald (Germany)
Musée de St Dié des Vosges Rétrospective Decembre/Janvier 2022
Arles Gallery de L’immobilier Juillet 2021
Arles Gallery Domus Réattu Juillet 2020
The Photogallery Halmstad Sweden Mars 2019
Chabeuil rencontres de la photographie (invité d’honneur Sept 2018)
Nancy Livre sur la Place invité par Philippe Claudel Sept 2018
Throckmorton Gallery New York June 2018
Almof Gallery (Sweden May June 2017)
Centro Andaluz de la Fotografia Spain Dec 2016
Iris Gallery Foto focus Festival Cicinnati USA Dec 2016
In Focus Gallery Köln Sept/Oct 2015
French Cultural Ambassy Cambodia Sept 2015
Artco Gallery Mars 2015
Photo Event June 2014 Mechelen Belgium
Festival Nicephore Clermont Ferrand (France) October 2014
Frog Gallery Houston TX Mars 2014
AIPAD New York with Throckmorton Gallery April 2014
Bielsko biala Foto Festival Oct 2013
Festival of Photography Arles France Summer 2013
Gallery Baudelaire Anvers Nov 2012
Bratislava Month of Photography Nov 2012
Gallery Krisal Genève Oct 2012
Gallery Jiro Muira Tokyo August 2012
In Focus Gallery Cologne Germany May 2012
Maison Europeene pour la Photographie Paris France January 2012
Stenersen Museum Sept 2011 Oslo Norway
Musée de la Photographie Charleroi Belgium Nov 2010
Original Song Gallery Shanghai Sept 2010
Pingayo Foto Festival (Chine Sept 2010)
Festival international de Photographie Arles (France 2010)
Gallery Lillebone Nancy (FR) Nov 2009
Gallery Photo4 Paris October 2009
Nordic Light Festival May 2009
Guanajuato Museum (Mex) august 2009
Woodstock BMG Gallery April 2009
Galerie du Passage Paris Nov 2008
Infocus Gallery Köln (Germany Sept 2008)
Donna Rogers Fine Art Houston US March 2008
Manuel Alvarez Bravo Center Oaxaca Mex Dec 2007
Griffin Museum USA Nov 2007
Arles Juillet 2007
Baudelaire Gallery Anvers Belgium Nov 2006
Krisal Gallery Geneva Nov 2006
Indigo Gallery Mexico August 2006
Farmani Gallery Los Angeles (February 2006)
Gallery Ombre Blanche Toulouse (FR) Sept 2005
Clampart Gallery New York (March 2005)
Australian center for Photography (Nov 2004)
Baudelaire Gallery Anvers (Belgium) Oct 2003
Krisal Gallery Genève (Switzerland) April 2003
Bibiana Museum Month of Photo Bratislava 2002
Alliance Française Toronto (Canada) May 2002
Centro Andaluz de la Fotografia, Almeria (Spain), 2001
Photographers Gallery, London (England), 2000
Galerie de la Maison de la Culture de Metz (France), 2000
House of Photography, Prague (Czech Republic), 2000
A.T.H.A. Galeria, Vittoria (Spain), 2000
Fotografica International, Solighetto (Italy), 1998
Fotomuseum in Mölkau, Leipzig (Germany), 1998
Photo Expo La Bastille, Month of Photography Paris (France), 1998
Galerie ‘La Comédie du Regard’, Montpellier (France), 1997
Photofolies, Rodez (France), 1997
Galerie G4, Cheb (Czech Republic), 1997
Centro Colombo Americano, Medellin (Columbia), 1997
Museo Civico Farnese, Piacenza (Italy), 1996
(Galerie Pechka, Prague Czech Republic), 1996
Galerie Marzee, Amsterdam (Holland), 1995
Musée Ken Damy, Milan (Italy), 1995
Nafoto, Sao Paulo (Brazil), 1995
Phototeca della Ina, Pachuca (Mexico), 1995
Centre Culturel Français, Leipzig (Germany), 1994
Galerie Photonews, Hambourg, (Germany), 1994
Galerie de l’Abattoir, Châlons-sur-Saône (France), 1994
Centre Culturel Français, Leipzig (Germany), 1994
Galerie Photonews, Hambourg, (Germany), 1994
Galerie de l’Abattoir, Châlons-sur-Saône (France), 1994
Musée Ken Damy, Brescia (Italy), 1994
Galerie Differencia, Lisbonne (Portugal), 1993
Centre Culturel Français, Essen (Germany), 1993
La Coursive, Scène Nationale, La Rochelle (France), 1992
Photovision, Bestiaire Photographique, Montpellier (France), 1992
Galerie Robert Doisneau, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy (France), 1991
Galerie G4, Cheb (Czech Republic), 1991
Galerie Robert Doisneau, Vandoeuvre (France), 1989
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (Extract)
Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria, 12 August – 17 September 2006 (Australia)
Gosford Regional Gallery & Arts Centre, New South Wales, 25 November 2006 – 28 January 2007( Australia)
Carnegie Gallery Hobart City Council (Tasmania 2006 Australia)
Arles espace Van Gogh the Dancing Bear (Bill Hunt Collection NY) (July 2005)
Center for photografi Aahus Denmark (the polaroid collection) (Nov 2002)
Fotofest , Houston, (U.S.A.), 2002
Belenky Gallery, New-York (U.S.A.), 1998
Galerie G4, Cheb (Czech Republic), 1998
Musée Municipal de Saint Dié (France), 1996
Petite Chapelle du Méjan, Arles (France), 1996
Galerie Robert Doisneau, Vandoeuvre (France), 1995
Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne (Switzerland), 1995
Galerie Marzee, Amsterdam (Holland), 1994
Galerie Labyrinthe, Lausanne (Switzerland), 1993
Grand Palais, Salon Découverte presented by Vis à Vis International,
Paris, 1991
Projections at the Palais de Tokyo by the Centre National de la
Photographie, Paris, 1990
PUBLICATIONS (Extract)
(Only Portfolios between 4 & 26 pages)
Openeye NO 22 Juin 2021
AAP Magazine No17 May 2021
AAP Magazine No 14 Nov 2020
Openeye N11 Avril 2019
Shutr Holland Dec 2016
FOTO (Germany) Dec 2015
Snoecks (Belgique January 2013)
Aorta 4/2013
Fotografi Norway Oct 2012
EYEMAZING Juillet 2012
Foto Sweden Mars 2012
Hamstag (34 Pages) Iran January 2012
FOTO Norway Nov 2011
Adore Noir Canada Nov 2011
Pics China No 22 Sept 2010
Fotografi Norway May 2009
Photography (China Oct 2008)
Schwarzeiss (Germany Sept 2008)
AKtuel Kunst (Germany Sept 2008)
Focus (USA Dec 2007)
Foto magazin (Germany March 2007)
Vision China Nov 2006
Eyemazing Holland Nov 2006
Shots USA Sept 2006
Black & White (USA March 2006)
Arte News Italy August 2005
Icarus Dublin Ireland (2004)
Shots 2004
Foto Sept 2002 (Belgium)
Art Photo Akt March 2002 (Germany)
Private summer 2002(no23)(Italy)
Shots no 71, March 2001 (USA)
Photographie March 2001 (Germany)
Vision No 2, 2001 (UK)
Shots No 74, December 2001 (USA)
Imagini Foto Pratica Dec 1999 (Italy)
Norsk Fotografiste Tidsgherift, January 1999 (Norway)
P. Magazine, n° 15, 1998 (Europ)
Fotografi n° 4, 1998 (Norway)
Fotografi n° 6, 1998 (Norway)
Gente di Fotografia n° 17, 1998 (Italy)
Reflex n° 20, 1998, (Mexico)
Picture Magazine, December 1998 (U.S.A.)
P. Magazine, 1996 (Europ))
Foto Oct 95 (Holland)
Zoom, January 1995 (U.S.A.)
Black and White, December 1995 (Australia)
International Photography, November 1994 (U.S.A.)
Zoom, October 1994 (Italy)
International Photographers, December 1993 (China)
Photonews, December, 1993, (Germany)
Foto Magazin, December, 1993, (Germany)
Post n°3, 1991 (Czech Republic)
Vis à Vis International n° 6, 1990 (France)
Vis à Vis International n° 4 , 1989 (France)
Clichés n° 56, 1989 (Belgium)
Photo Magazine, November , 1988 (France)
International Photography n° 2, 1989 (U.S.A.)
1st prize & Black and White prize of the 6th European Final Polaroid Art
Awards, 1997
CATALOGUES
William ROPP, 1990
William ROPP, 1991
William ROPP, “La chair nue de l’émotion”, 1993
William ROPP, “El escultor en la sombra », 2000
BOOKS
William ROPP, Ken Damy Museum Editions, Italy, 1996
Children, William Ropp, Kehrer Verlag & Editions de l’Oeil, 2004
Polaroïd Collection, Taeschen Editions, 2005
Full of Grace /150 Years of the Child in Photography /2006
ARTIST’S BOOKS .
Collector’s books, limited edition, France, 2002.
Collector’s books, limited edition, France, 2003.
Collector’s books, limited edition, France, 2004.
Dreamt Memories from Africa/ Vevais Gallery Edition Spring 2008
William Ropp: »20 Years in Photography » Voenoot Edition / Edition de L’oeil / Minotorus March 2009
Mémoire Rêvées D’Afrique Edition de L’œil October 2009
FACES (France Editions de L’œil 2012)Forword Arno Minkkinen
The Color of Compassion (Germany 212) Vevais Gallery Edition Text from John Wood
Ethiopiques (edition de l’œil) Juin 2015
Uthiopie (textes de Philippe Claudel Nov 2018)
Representation
Throckmorton Galley New York
Gallery Shchukin Paris
Louise Gallery Durbuy
