Christian Caujolle, a pioneering figure in contemporary photography who transformed how the medium is perceived and presented, died on the night of October 19-20 at Tarbes Hospital in France. He was 72 years old. The journalist, co-founder of VU' Agency, and exhibition curator's death marks another significant loss for the photography world, following the deaths of Agnès de Gouvion Saint-Cyr and Agathe Gaillard earlier this year.
Born on February 26, 1953, in Sissonne, Ariège, Caujolle was a graduate of the prestigious École Normale Supérieure de Saint-Cloud who became one of the most ardent defenders of contemporary photography. His career began at the French newspaper Libération, where he served as a photo critic from 1978 to 1981 before becoming the photography editor-in-chief. In this role, he implemented an innovative editorial policy with the motto "break the codes," commissioning photographers from diverse backgrounds chosen for their distinctive visual languages or deliberately working against type.
In 1986, Caujolle left Libération to establish VU' Agency alongside Zina Rouabah, the newspaper's administrator, and Serge July. He defined VU' as "an agency of photographers rather than a photographic agency," emphasizing the artistic vision of individual creators. As the agency's artistic director until 2006, he also oversaw the artistic direction of VU' Gallery, which was created in 1998.
Throughout his career, Caujolle profoundly influenced contemporary visual culture through his roles as an exhibition curator, festival artistic director, jury president, and author of numerous books on photography. His choices, analyses, and commitment helped accompany and reveal generations of photographers, encouraging them to assert their individuality over more than four decades.
From 2020 to 2024, Caujolle served as artistic advisor to the Château d'Eau Gallery in Toulouse. His final major project was curating the exhibition "Ouvrir les yeux" (Opening Eyes) at Les Abattoirs in 2024-2025, dedicated to the photographic collections of both institutions. The 16th edition of the Photo Phnom Penh festival, which he co-founded and was scheduled to run from November 19 to December 19, will now open without its visionary co-creator, serving as a testament to his lasting impact on international photography culture.
