Place de la République
Thomas Boivin
June 5-August 21, 2026
Opening Reception: June 5, 6-9pm
Free and open to the public
Aurora PhotoCenter, Main Gallery
1125 Brookside Avenue, Suite C9, Indianapolis
In his series Place de la République, Thomas Boivin presents a collective portrait of youth, vibrancy, and hope found in the famous Paris square. Over a period of four years starting in 2018, Boivin photographed a wide array of young people, asking them to be present briefly for his 4 x 5 camera, stopping for a moment out of time. The portraits feel direct, immediate, intimate, timeless, and timely: In 2026, as many countries grapple with loss of individual freedoms, Boivin’s portraits hit home as a reminder that people make place.
Boivin writes of making the series, “As the world seemed to grow more tense with each passing day, I found myself turning to youth, those on the threshold of adulthood. In their presence I glimpsed the shape of the society to come, and through them I discovered a renewed faith in our capacity to endure and to overcome the frailties of our time."
Place de la République holds a special place as a geographical, social, and political meeting point of Paris. Under the plaza, several Metro lines converge, making the Place a major transportation hub. Above ground, the plaza is known as an everyday gathering place, one of the best skateboarding spots in the city, and both the beginning and end of many major protests. Place de la République is a true and often loud Commons, where Parisians of every class and corner meet for a coffee, conversation, to organize and talk and to live. At the heart of the plaza is a statue of Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic and its triumph over monarchy.
The portraits in Place de la République maintain a consistent distance to the subjects, providing a soft yet stable visual framework that encourages close viewing of the smiles, eyes, hairstyles, clothes, and ultimately character exuded from each individual. In the oftentimes strong sunlight of midday, Boivin captures the imperfect beauty and quiet power of his subjects. Presented without names, the images in Place de la République create a tension between detailed observation, specificity of person and place, and anonymity. Although the portraits lead to a perceived deep impression of each subject, they remain indelibly faces in a crowd, held momentarily on their way to somewhere and sometime else.
Published in 2025 as a book of 40 images by Stanley/Barker, the exhibition of Place de la République features Boivin’s characteristic careful printing. The prints in Place de la République have been enhanced by gold-toning, lending their unique beauty an additional layer of richness and preciousness. Boivin does not usually gold-tone his exhibition prints, perhaps to avoid gold’s many historical and contemporary cultural associations, such as to the gaudy “gold” baubles that currently adorn America’s Oval Office. With his addition of gold-toning, Boivin presents the future of France, its young people, as treasure rather than surface.
As America approaches its 250th Anniversary amid the pending threat of authoritarianism, we pause a moment in front of Boivin’s photographs to remember the promise of the Commons and the foundations of liberty, fraternity, and equality that unite French and American histories.
Thomas Boivin is a French photographer born in Paris in 1983. Working mainly in monochrome, Boivin documents the streets of Paris and its suburbs with a keen sense of portraiture. His work also includes still lifes and more intimate photographs of his immediate family. His book, Belleville, was published by Stanley/Barker in April 2022, accompanied by an exhibition at the A. Stichting Foundation. His next book, Ménilmontant, was published by Stanley/Barker in autumn 2023, with Stanley/Barker also publishing Place de la République in 2025. His work can be seen in the collections of Neuflize OBC, the Bachelot Collection, the Paris Collection, La Bibliothèque Nationale de France (National Library of France) and the A. Stichting Foundation. Thomas Boivin lives and works in Paris.
Thomas Boivin was interviewed by Aurora Board Member Matthew Carroll about the book Belleville in September 2022. Watch a recording of the online interview by clicking here.
Annual operating support for Aurora PhotoCenter provided by the City of Indianapolis through the Indy Arts Council. Additional annual support provided by the Efroymson Family Fund, Joy of Giving Something Foundation, Inc., Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, Indiana Arts Commission, Aurora Members, and donors who believe in Aurora’s mission.