With Global Warning, the Jeu de Paume Gallery presents a broad retrospective of Martin Parr’s work, spanning over four decades of photography focused on the contradictions of contemporary life. Compulsive consumerism, global tourism, technological dependence, and social inequality emerge as central themes in a visual narrative that is ironic, sharp, and deeply political. Curated by Quentin Bajac, the exhibition features around 180 photographs from Parr’s most iconic series, from the late 1970s to his most recent work. Martin Parr (born in Epsom, England, in 1952) is one of the most prominent and influential British photographers of his generation. A member of Magnum Photos since 1994, he has developed an immediately recognisable visual language, marked by saturated colours, direct flash, and close-up compositions. His gaze - only seemingly humorous - delves into the habits of the middle class, leisure rituals, and the aesthetics of kitsch, turning every scene into a form of social diagnosis. Parr’s style blends anthropological observation with visual satire, offering images that are both amusing and unsettling. Crowded beaches, cruise ships, buffets, shopping centres: the ordinary becomes a subject of investigation, a mirror of collective neuroses and the cracks in a cultural model under strain. The exhibition is accompanied by a Phaidon-published catalogue featuring contributions from scholars in the humanities, offering reflections on the critical nature of Parr’s work. In this context, photography becomes a tool for awareness - an invitation to heed the warning signs of our time.
