STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHERS CAPTURE SPIRIT OF MODERN FRANCE

Works to be Focus of Los Angeles Gallery Exhibition and National Tourism

Campaign

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (February 26, 2009) – As part of a cross-cultural educational and art project,
eight U.S. college students were flown to Europe where they photographed their experience of
modern French life. They will now have the privilege of seeing their work used in a major French
tourism advertising campaign created by France’s national tourist office, Maison de la France.

The innovative project, called Jeunes Talents (“young talents”) is intended to capture the spirit of
modern France through the eyes of a new generation of American artists. In addition to the planned
tourism campaign, photographs will be on view at Louis Stern Fine Arts, 9002 Melrose Avenue, West
Hollywood, in an exhibition also titled Jeunes Talents. VIP and press openings are set for Thursday,
March 26 from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. The exhibition opens to the general public on Friday, March 27 and
runs through April 11, 2009.

“Jeunes Talents is a unique opportunity for French cities to expand their visibility by being seen
through the eyes of emerging American artists,” states Benoit Chollet, Director, Maison de la France
for the Western U.S. “As a ground-breaking initiative that combines art and tourism, France and the
United States, Jeunes Talents is a wonderful opportunity for young artists to be discovered.”

The collection of images is stunning in its array of expression and subject matter. Ranging from
surreal to naturalistic in style and covering architecture, portraiture and landscape in subject material,
the images reveal perspectives on contemporary society that could only have been seen with fresh
eyes. Students were given free rein to interpret the daily life of the city where they were assigned,
and the result is a radical departure from the old iconic imagery of France. In its totality, this
collection represents a summation of the artist’s feelings and personal understanding of the region
that they visited. It is a perspective that is by turns enlightening, beautiful and compelling.

Participating colleges include three in Los Angeles, California and one in New Orleans, Louisiana.
They are Art Center College of Design, California Institute of the Arts and Otis College of Art
and Design in the Los Angeles region, and Loyola University in New Orleans. The program is a
joint initiative of Maison de la France and French Cultural Services in Los Angeles. Other partners
include Air Tahiti Nui, Rail Europe and France Los Angeles Exchange (FLAX), a Los Angeles
foundation dedicated to fostering a better understanding of France through public and cultural art
events.

“Jeunes Talents is a unique opportunity to open the boundaries of art, creativity and cultural
exchange,” states Yann Perreau, Deputy Cultural Attaché, Los Angeles. “Take eight talented young
American photographers. Put them in an unknown environment, such as a French city with its own
traditions and culture. Add key actors in the contemporary photography art scene, such as top art
colleges in the U.S., and mix this with a famous gallery known for challenging photography, such as
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Louis Stern Fine Arts. The result is one of the most exciting, inventive and challenging art concepts to
date. Cultural Services of the French Embassy is proud to be part of this project along with its
partners.”

Four cities from different regions of the country were selected for the project. The cities and their
assigned photographers are:

Antibes-Juan-les-Pins, a 2,500 year-old city on the Mediterranean coast that boasts Europe’s
largest marina and a stellar mix of artists, playboys and American émigrés who settled there in the
roaring twenties. Today, it sits at the heart of France’s Silicon Valley.
  Esther Murphy, Loyola University, New Orleans
  Gillian Dicker, Loyola University, New Orleans

Biarritz, on the Atlantic coast, was transformed in the 19th Century by Empress Eugenie from a small
fishing harbor into a sophisticated seaside resort, and is today Europe’s surf capital.
  Amanda Keller Konya, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles
  Alejandro Sanchez, California Institute of the Arts, Los Angeles

Lyon, in central France, is the country’s second largest city. Today, as capital of the Burgundy region
and internationally famous for its Michelin-starred restaurants, famous chefs, stylish brasseries and
art de vivre, it is now a major industrial and cultural center.
  Spencer Lowell, Art Center College of Design, Pasadena

Montpellier, capital of Languedoc-Roussillon in Southern France, straddles Catalan and French

cultures and boasts 300 days of sunshine per year. Once home to Nostradamus, it is today a major
industrial center with a lively cultural scene.
  Tasha Moore, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles
  Justine Maccario, Art Center College of Design, Pasadena
  Allison Boggle, California Institute of the Arts, Los Angeles

Plans for this multi-year collaboration are currently underway for Jeunes Talents in 2010, with a new
crop of students and destination in the works, including the city of Marseille in the South of France,
designated Europe’s cultural capital for the year 2013.

For more information on the program, artist bios and images, please go to
www.franceguide.com/jeunestalents

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GENERAL PUBLIC: For further information on Jeunes Talents, the public is asked to please call
(310) 235 3242 or visit www.franceguide.com/jeunestalents

MEDIA: For images or interviews with artists and organizers please call (310) 235- 3242 or e-mail to
etienne.farreyre@diplomatie.gouv.fr