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ORIENT-EXPRESS & Cie
itinerary of a modern myth
17.03 - 21.05.2023
A technical object turned cultural icon, the Orient-Express has crystallized a multitude of stories and representations based on real or invented facts. However, before becoming a literary and cinematographic object, the Orient-Express was first and foremost the train of a railway company: the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL). Operating between 1883 and 1977, linking Paris to Constantinople and Istanbul, it was the first in a series of international luxury trains. Its creation represented a diplomatic and economic tour de force at a time when railroads were being used as instruments of political power by empires and states.
The works and photographs in the exhibition Orient-Express & Cie. Itinerary of a modern myth are drawn from the archives of the former Compagnie internationale des wagons-lits. From photographic prints to plans, maps, technical drawings and period advertising posters, the exhibition brings together over 200 items that place the Orient-Express in its global historical context. While most of the photographs are anonymous, others are signed by famous studios such as Paul Nadar, Albert Chevojon and Sébah & Joaillier. Beyond the myth, the exhibition reveals all the engineering of a luxury train, made possible by an impressive network of workshops and services (launderers, cabinetmakers, boilermakers, etc.).
One train can hide another
Along with the Orient-Express, the Rome-Express is one of the Compagnie des wagons-lits’ most prestigious large trains. Launched in December 1883, it linked Paris to Rome, running first along the French Riviera, then the Italian Riviera du Ponant and Riviera du Levant. Presented today at the Villa Médicis, archives and photographs bear witness to this Franco-Italian rail adventure.
The exhibition also features a previously unpublished work by French photographer Sarah Moon, produced as part of a grant from the Orient Express Endowment Fund. On various occasions, the artist has traveled in the railway footsteps of the Orient Express, following its real and imaginary routes.
The exhibition explores the train as a place of all possibilities, between history and fiction. Mathias Enard, writer and winner of the Prix Goncourt in 2015 for his book Boussole (Actes Sud), and a former resident of the Villa Médicis in 2005-2006, has seized on the myth to take visitors on a sound docu-drama produced especially for the exhibition, in partnership with France Culture. The author, whose work constantly explores the meeting points between East and West, offers a new tale told along the line of the Rome-Express: episodes can be listened to as you walk from room to room, encountering the myth, or replayed on the France Culture website and app.
This exhibition features documents from the Orient-Express Endowment Fund, the Pierre de Gigord Paris Collection, the SNCF Fonds, SARDO, the Centre National des Archives Historiques, the Ministry of Culture, Médiathèque de l’architecture et du patrimoine and the Fondazione FS Italiane.
Listen to the podcast of Mathias Enard, curator of the exhibition
Eva Gravayat
Born in Paris in 1985, has lived in Berlin since 2012. Eva Gravayat holds a degree in Exhibition Science and Techniques from the Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, and is a director of cultural projects. She has coordinated the production of numerous photography exhibitions and festivals in France and Germany (Rencontres d’Arles, Fotobookfestival Kassel…) and regularly takes part in portfolio readings, juries and round tables.
Between 2014 and 2018, she worked on the conservation and dissemination of the Hein Gorny Estate with the Collection Regard. In 2017, she co-founded thephotoexhibitionarchive.com, a collection of exhibition views for students, artists and curators.
Arthur Mettetal
Born in 1985 in Besançon, France, lives and works in Ivry-sur-Seine, France. Arthur Mettetal is a historian specializing in the history and heritage of luxury goods and transport, and wrote his thesis on the Orient Express at the Centre de Recherches Historiques de l’EHESS. His work focuses on the tangible and intangible traces of industries and businesses, and makes extensive use of photographic, archival and contemporary media. Curator of several documentary exhibitions, he is currently general delegate of the Orient Express endowment fund.
Orient Express Endowment Fund
The Orient Express endowment fund was created in 2016 on the initiative of the SNCF and the Orient Express company with the aim of preserving, collecting, enhancing and passing on the heritage and culture attached to the famous train and its history. It is the repository of the corporate archives of the former Compagnie internationale des wagons-lits, as well as a rich collection of historical objects. This collection, made up of remarkable pieces, is part of a constantly evolving heritage dynamic, enriched by contributions from contemporary artists, particularly in the field of documentary and artistic photography. The SNCF is committed to preserving, transmitting and promoting the heritage of the railroads, and has a long-standing relationship with the Orient-Express. Since the line’s creation in 1883, it has used the lines of various European railway networks, notably those of the Compagnie des chemins de fer de l’Est. From 1938 onwards, the newly-created SNCF took over from the private companies in providing traction for the famous train.
Practical information
Exhibition opening days and times:
Monday to Sunday (closed Tuesdays) from 10am to 7pm (last admission 6:30pm) Admission:
Full price: €10 / Reduced price: €8
TRIBU price: €2 / Free for SOLO or DUO card holders Themed tours and workshops for families and school groups will be offered throughout the exhibition.
Exhibition co-produced by Orient-Express Endowment Fund and Rencontres d’Arles
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