Acclaimed French documentary photographer Maxime Picard has unveiled his most ambitious project to date, a comprehensive retrospective of his 2025 work that captures pivotal moments of social change across four continents. The exhibition, which opened at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris before beginning its international tour, presents eighty large-format images that document everything from climate migration in sub-Saharan Africa to youth-led protests in Asian megacities. Picard's distinctive approach combines intimate portraiture with sweeping environmental shots, creating a visual narrative that personalizes global crises while maintaining journalistic objectivity.

Born in Lyon in 1985, Picard first gained recognition for his 2015 series on refugee camps in the Mediterranean, which earned him the prestigious World Press Photo award. His subsequent projects have focused on marginalized communities navigating the complexities of modernization, with particular attention to indigenous populations facing environmental threats. Throughout his career, Picard has maintained a commitment to long-term immersion, often spending months within the communities he documents to build trust and capture authentic moments. His 2025 retrospective represents the culmination of three intensive years of fieldwork in twenty-three countries, funded by a grant from the Carmignac Photojournalism Award.

The 2025 collection is organized around five thematic clusters: displacement, urbanization, cultural preservation, youth activism, and environmental adaptation. Standout images include a haunting photograph of a Malian family crossing the Sahel desert with their belongings loaded on a single donkey, captured at dawn with a muted palette that emphasizes their isolation. Another powerful series documents the daily lives of Rohingya communities in Bangladesh, focusing on the resilience of children who have established informal schools in the camps. In contrast, his work from South America celebrates indigenous resistance, featuring vibrant portraits of Quechua activists using traditional music to protest mining operations in the Peruvian Andes.

Picard's technical mastery is evident in his innovative use of natural light and his ability to find extraordinary compositions in ordinary moments. His photograph of a young woman in Mumbai teaching digital literacy to elderly neighbors, taken through a doorway that frames the scene like a Renaissance painting, demonstrates his painterly eye. Similarly, his aerial shots of climate-affected coastal villages in Vietnam reveal patterns of human settlement that speak to both vulnerability and adaptation. Throughout the exhibition, Picard accompanies each image with handwritten field notes that provide context without overwhelming the visual impact, allowing viewers to engage directly with the subjects' stories.

Critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with The Guardian describing the work as "a masterclass in compassionate witnessing" and Le Monde praising Picard's ability to "find dignity in the most desperate circumstances." Beyond aesthetic appreciation, the exhibition has sparked concrete social impact, with several images from his series on child labor in supply chains influencing policy discussions at the European Parliament. Picard has also launched an educational component, providing free curriculum materials to schools worldwide that use his photographs to teach about global citizenship and media literacy.

The retrospective will travel to New York's International Center of Photography in March 2026, followed by stops in Tokyo, Nairobi, and São Paulo through 2027. Picard plans to donate a portion of print sales to the communities featured in his work, continuing his practice of reciprocal engagement. As global challenges intensify, his 2025 body of work stands as both a powerful historical record and a call to action, demonstrating photography's unique capacity to bridge cultural divides and foster human connection across vast distances.