Moulin Rouge, Paris 1937

Editor: Brassai's "Moulin Rouge, Paris" from 1937, a monochrome photograph – it really captures the glamour and buzz of nightlife. What catches my eye is how everyone is dressed up and seems to be looking elsewhere, towards an unknown object or performance. How would you interpret this piece? Curator: Well, you immediately sense that atmosphere, don't you? For me, it’s the recurring symbol of the mirror – distorted yet present, layered on the social dynamics already at play – it hints at fragmented identities within these spaces of entertainment, how the perception of oneself transforms as we enter into them. Do you notice how the light reflects on certain surfaces of the image versus others, almost spotlighting moments as a theatrical drama? Editor: I see what you mean; the lights are very sharp. I did not think about mirrors playing such a role! It is indeed distorting, so in that sense, mirrors add mystery to this image… a world beyond reality? Curator: Exactly! This ‘other world’ has some psychological context: during that period of time, mirrors, and even photography itself, served as reminders of mortality – reflecting an uncanny awareness that everything is transient and subject to transformation, even at an extravagant space such as Moulin Rouge. What feelings come to mind when contemplating the role of reflection here? Editor: Well, there's the literal reflection, but now I’m also pondering on a social reflection, how people reflected the behaviours and customs from those days. Almost like holding up a looking glass to a certain segment of Parisian society, but now for a contemporary audience. I hadn’t thought of photography capturing those ideas before. Curator: These photographs act as vessels, they retain symbolic meaning through time and act as cultural artifacts that transmit value; and we see what we seek in them. They grow richer in history because our understanding of the past shifts and adds another perspective. Editor: It’s great how symbols become more transparent with historical background. Thanks!