Artist: Marc Riboud

Atlas Gallery presents a powerful exhibition featuring the era-defining and deeply thought-provoking works of renowned French Magnum photographer Marc Riboud (1923-2016). Titled “Peace in the Making,” this exhibition showcases a carefully curated selection of Riboud's most iconic images, each one capturing the essence of peace in a postwar world, desperately trying to rebuild itself in the aftermath of World War II and The Vietnam War.

Marc Riboud was one of the most prominent Magnum photographers of the postwar era and the first to focus his camera almost exclusively on peacetime as opposed to war. The exhibition title deliberately echoes the iconic Photo-book on the Spanish Civil War by Magnum founder Robert Capa, titled "Death in the Making”, published in 1938. As his mentor, Capa was the one to get Riboud his first publication of the famous “Eiffel Tower Painter” image in Life Magazine, as well as assignments in the UK to photograph the city of Leeds for the Picture Post.

Marc Riboud, a master of photojournalism, was known for his ability to convey the humanity, beauty, and hope that often arises amidst the most challenging times. Over the course of his illustrious career, Riboud traveled to the farthest corners of the world, including Algeria, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Japan, China and West Africa, documenting moments of profound significance and quiet resistance, where peace was found in the most unlikely places.

From his famous image of a young girl holding a flower in front of a line of soldiers during the anti-Vietnam War protests in Washington in 1967 to his more intimate portraits of individuals engaged in acts of compassion, the exhibition offers an unparalleled opportunity to explore the universality of peace. Riboud’s photographs not only tell the stories of these pivotal moments but also remind us of the quiet power of human connection and the beauty of non-violent action.

While the exhibition is centered around Riboud’s images of peacetimes, it also includes several works that depict moments of turmoil and protest. These images serve as an essential counterpoint, reminding us that peace does not exist in isolation but in response to conflict, highlighting the fragility and necessity of peace and making those moments Riboud has captured all the more powerful.

The exhibition includes both black-and-white and colour photographs, spanning decades of Riboud’s work, from his early career with Magnum Photos to his later projects across Asia, Africa and Europe. The exhibition features signed vintage and life-time prints.

“The work of Marc Riboud speaks to us in a timeless language, one that transcends borders, cultures, and conflicts. His ability to capture fleeting moments of peace amidst turmoil is something that continues to resonate today. Through this exhibition, we hope to inspire reflection on the role of peace in our lives and in the world around us.”
Ben Burdett, Curator of the Exhibition and Founder of Atlas Gallery.

A special opening reception will take place on Thursday 1 May from 6 to 8pm, with a chance to meet Riboud’s widow Catherine Chaine Riboud and the curator of the Riboud Archive Lorène Durret, an expert on Marc Riboud’s life and photography, who will offer insights into Riboud’s legacy and his contributions to visual storytelling.

Marc Riboud's “Peace in the Making” serves as a visual celebration of the enduring power of peace in a world that today seems more divided than ever, where many of the most important peacetime organisations established in the aftermath of war are now suddenly under unprecedented pressure.