The Parvis Espace Culturel Leclerc in Pau, France, will present a major retrospective of photographer Stéphane Duroy from November 21, 2025, through March 21, 2026. Titled "La vie à hauteur d'homme" (Life at Human Height), the exhibition showcases more than four decades of Duroy's documentary work exploring the human condition. Since joining the prestigious VU agency in 1986, Duroy has established himself as a meticulous observer of a battered world, documenting humanity crushed by poverty, war, and social inevitability. The exhibition brings together his most significant series, offering visitors a comprehensive look at one of contemporary photography's most singular voices.
Born in 1948 in Bizerte, Tunisia, Duroy began his career at the SIPA agency before developing his distinctive approach to documentary photography. His work spans four major geographical areas that form the backbone of his artistic practice: Great Britain, Berlin, Eastern European countries, and the United States. Rather than following strict chronology or conventional paths, Duroy's trajectory reflects an evolution from traditional photojournalism toward a freer, more contemplative documentary style. His images reveal history not only through marked faces but also through the banality of everyday life crossed by silent tensions, creating a powerful narrative that speaks to both collective memory and individual experience.
Duroy's photography captures both grand historical moments and intimate life fragments within their social contexts. His notable exhibitions at the Rencontres d'Arles in 1991 and 2024, the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in 2002, and Le Bal in 2017 have marked his atypical career path. Marc Bélit, the artistic director of Parvis Espace Culturel Leclerc, explains the photographer's core focus: "What he photographs, fundamentally, is man in his relationship to the world; man confronting history, man faced with the violence of reality, but also man persisting in living despite everything." This perspective underscores Duroy's unique ability to find resilience and dignity in the face of adversity.
The photographer's sober and stripped-down aesthetic reveals a rigorous gaze permeated with profound empathy. Duroy's precise framing and silent images open naturally to reflection without relying on heavy-handed techniques or posturing. For over forty years, he has traversed Europe and the United States searching for traces left by twentieth-century tragedies. His work is nourished by literature, history, and painting, organizing around three self-proclaimed axes: the human condition, the weight of history, and when that history becomes unbearable, flight and exile as final refuge. This thematic structure gives his documentary practice philosophical depth while maintaining visual accessibility.
The Parvis Espace Culturel Leclerc exhibition will feature Duroy's most iconic images alongside lesser-known works that demonstrate his consistent vision. Visitors can expect to see how the photographer's technique has evolved while his fundamental concerns have remained constant. The show's title, "Life at Human Height," perfectly encapsulates Duroy's approach to keeping his camera at eye level with his subjects, refusing both sensationalism and detachment. This physical and ethical positioning allows viewers to engage directly with the lives and histories presented in his photographs.
The cultural center's commitment to showcasing Duroy's work reflects a broader recognition of photography's power to document social realities and historical memory. The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience the full scope of an artist who has remained true to his documentary principles while adapting to changing artistic contexts. For both photography enthusiasts and general audiences, Duroy's work provides a crucial meditation on how individuals and communities navigate the lasting impacts of historical trauma. The show promises to be a significant cultural event in the southwestern French region, bringing world-class documentary photography to Pau's vibrant arts scene.
