SAVE THE DATE
Public opening event Thursday, November 13th – from 6pm to 9pm
Starting November 12th, 2025, OGATA presents Histoires de Graines by French photographer Thierry Ardouin. Supported by the publishing house Atelier EXB, the exhibition invites visitors to rediscover the plant world through portraits of seeds, whose astonishing forms reveal an unsuspected beauty and diversity.
RANUNCULACEAE – Clematis Pitcheri Torr. & A. Gray. Clématite
© Thierry Ardouin / Tendance Floue / MNHN
Wild or cultivated, wonders of form and color, seeds possess a morphology that is both necessary and strange—evoking wonder and contemplation. Symbols of life, growth, diversity, and culture, seeds tell the great story of humankind. Since the dawn of time, they have traveled—carried by ocean currents, winds, sometimes fire, and also with the help of animals and humans—spreading the extraordinary diversity of the plant world. Seeds of trees, grains, flowers, fruits, and vegetables circulate across the globe, adapting and being welcomed from one land to another: they challenge our ability to imagine the future.
Carefully selected, lit, and framed, the seeds photographed by Thierry Ardouin unsettle our perception as viewers: they become symbols that, far from any generic image, question our relationship to origins. Drawn mostly from the collections of the National Museum of Natural History, these wild or cultivated seeds from around the world fascinate through their formal beauty—colors, textures, contours, and appearances capture the gaze and question our perceptions.
Following a first collaboration during KYOTOGRAPHIE 2024, OGATA is pleased to present Histoires de Graines in its exhibition space, located on the mezzanine of the main hall. Within the serene atmosphere of OGATA, in the heart of the Marais’s bustle, these silent seeds take on a contemplative dimension, inviting visitors to pause and re-evaluate the living world around them.
About the artist
© Meyer
Born in 1961, Thierry Ardouin co-founded the photographers’ collective Tendance Floue in 1991. His work explores the relationship between humans and their environment, often using medium or large format photography, which allows for greater attention to time and composition. In 2004, his series Nada—a wandering journey that began in Spain—sought to capture the traces left by human hands on the landscape and the transformations, sometimes accidental, that result. In Terres paysannes (2008), he observed the gestures of farmers, the constant interplay between tool and soil, and the delicate balance between nature and culture. With Histoires de graines (SEED STORIES), his exploration of the infinitesimal world of seeds reveals an unsuspected nature, a perfection of forms and colors. He was awarded the 2024 Prix des Amis du Musée Albert Kahn for this documentary work. Thierry Ardouin lives and works in Paris, where he continues to explore the connections between art, science, and nature.
More information: https://thierryardouin.fr/
A project produced by Atelier EXB
Atelier EXB publishes works that explore new forms of photography, contemporary art, and the sciences. Founded in 2002 by Xavier Barral and taken over in 2020 by the five members of its team (Jordan Alves, Nathalie Chapuis, Yseult Chehata, Charlotte Debiolles, and Perrine Somma), the publishing house conceives each book with great attention to both content and form. By questioning the forms of the photographic image, revealing artistic voices, and addressing the major issues that shape contemporary society through images, Atelier EXB stands as a space of creation, curiosity, and openness to the world. Its aesthetic rigor and editorial content—developed in close collaboration with leading figures in contemporary creation as well as emerging talents—produce remarkable works where artists and authors from around the world intersect. To date, the catalogue includes more than 250 critically acclaimed titles.
Exhibition catalogue available on-site at OGATA Paris: Histoires de Graines, Atelier EXB.
Thierry Ardouin – SEED STORIES
From November 12th to 30th, 2025
Public opening event : Thursday, November 13th, 2025 – from 6pm to 9pm