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Johanna Benaïnous, born in 1991 in Paris and Elsa Parra, in 1990 in Bayonne, are based in Paris.

In 2014, while Johanna studied at Les Beaux-arts de Paris and Elsa at Les Arts Décoratifs de Paris, they met in New-York during a common exchange program at the School of Visual Art. Since then, Elsa and Johanna have been working together as a duo of artists photographers and directors on personal, editorial and commercial projects.

They have been finalists of the Prix HSBC pour la photographie 2016 and won the second prize of Prix Picto de la mode 2017, alongside other distinctions. In 2018, their piece A Couple of Them entered the collection of the FMAC. Elsa & Johanna won the Public Prize at the 2019 Hyères Festival in the photo section and were finalist of the Prix Découverte Louis Roederer for Les Rencontres d’Arles 2020. Their editorial collaborations include Le Temps, Boycott Magazine, L’Express 10, Crash Magazine and their clients, Etro, Boucheron and Apple (for which they created and directed the short movie « Coup de Bol »), among others.

Current and up coming exhibitions


Les douze heures du jour et de la nuit
Maison Auguste Comte
November 3 > December 17
2022
Paris, Odéon





Solo Shows


2022
       Les douze heures du jour et de la nuit, Maison Auguste Comte, Paris, (FR)

       The Timeless Story of Moormerland, Studio de la MEP, Paris, (FR)

       The Plural Life of Identity, Städtische Galerie, Museum of Karlsruhe, (GE)

2021
      Palace Odyssée, Les Etincelles du Palais de la Découverte, Paris (FR)

      Find the Truth, Paris Photo Fair, Booth La Forest Divonne, Grand Palais, Paris, (FR)

      Palace Odyssée, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Paris, (FR)

      Festival Air de Fête, Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, (FR)

2020
      Silver Springs, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Bruxelles, (BE)

2019
A Couple of Them, Paris Photo, Curiosa Sector, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Grand Palais, Paris, (FR)

 

Rosarium – C’est le soleil qui finira par nous perdre, curated by Ann Stouvenel, Mains d’Œuvres, Saint-Ouen, (FR)

2018
A Cross Perspective, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Festival Photo Saint-Germain, Paris, (FR)
 
2017
Le Reflet de la cuillère, Espace des femmes, Festival Photo Saint-Germain, Paris, (FR)        

 

Los Ojos Vendados, Etro flagship, Saint-Germain, Paris, (FR)

2015
A Couple of Them, Beaux-arts de Paris, Paris, (FR)


Selected Group Shows


2022

      Entres les Mondes, Palecete Santo Estevao, Alfama, Lisbonne, PO



2021        
      A Couple of Them, Hyperfestival, Place Baudoyer/Hotel de Ville, Paris, (FR)

      Je te laisse les clefs, H Gallery, Paris, (FR)

      Beyond the shadows, Art Paris Art Fair, (FR)

      Collection Societé Générale, Paris, (FR)

      Prix Balzac 2021, Maison de Balzac, Paris, (FR)

      Art Paris Art Fair, Booth La Forest Divonne, Grand Palais, Paris, (FR)

2020
      Per Se, Festival Photo Saint-Germain + Photo Days, Galerie La Forest Divonne,                      Paris, (FR) 

      Find the truth, Jimei X Arles, Jimei Photo Festival, Jimei, (CH)

      Staging Identity, curator Stefanie Patruno, Institut Mathildenhöhe, Darmstadt, (GE)

      Not So Crazy Girls, curator Naomie Rubins, Espace Futur, Paris, (FR) 

      Heartland, Art Paris Art Fair, invited by Gaël Charbau, Grand Palais, Paris, (FR)           

      Ensemble, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Brussels, (BE)

2019
Some of us, curated by Jérôme Cotinet-Alphaize, Carlshütte,
Büdelsdorf, (DE)

 

34ème Festival International de Photographie de Hyères,
Villa Noailles, (FR) 

 

Art Paris Art Fair, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Grand Palais, Paris, (FR)

 

Lignes de vies : une exposition de légendes, curated by Franck Lamy, Mac Val,
Vitry-sur-Seine, (FR)

 

100% L’Expo – Sorties d'écoles, Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris, (FR)

2018
FIAC 2018 - Stand du FMAC, Grand Palais, Paris, (FR)

 

30 years anniversary of la Galerie La Forest Divonne, Paris (FR)  

 

Prix Picto de la Mode, Palais Galliera, Paris (FR)

 

Les Apparences, La Graineterie, Houilles, (FR)

 

L’homme qui marchait dans la couleur, Galerie du Crous, Paris, (FR)

 

Profils, Pavillon Blanc, Centre d’art Henri Molina, Colomiers, (FR)

2017
Kaléidoscope, curated by Jean de Malherbe, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Brussels, (BE)

 

Jeune création 67, Paris, (FR)

 

Proyecta : Imaginando otros posibles, curated by Sandra Maunac, Madrid, (ES)

 

Festival Circulation(s) #7, le Centquatre, Paris, (FR)

2016
Une inconnue d’avance, curated by Gaël Charbau, Villa Emerige, Paris, (FR)

 

Felicità, curated by Alexia Fabre, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Paris (FR)

 

Dress codes, curated by Alexandra Dhainaut, Mains d'Œuvre, Saint-Ouen, (FR)

 

Vertige en terrain plat, curated by "Mathilde s’expose", Brownstone Foundation,
Paris, (FR)

 

Salon de Montrouge #61, curated by Ami Barrack, Beffroi de Montrouge, (FR)

Public and private collection 


      Städtische Gallery, Modern Art Museum of Karlsruhe (Germany)

      CNAP (Centre national des arts plastiques)

      Société Générale Contemporary Art Collection

FMAC (Fonds d’art contemporain - Paris Collections)
 
Palais Galliera (Fashion Museum of the City of Paris)

 

Seine Saint-Denis Departmental Contempory Art Collection     

Crédit Agricole Contemporary Art Collection


Awards & Grants


2021
      Nominated for Le Prix Balzac 2021 (Prize of the Friends of Balzac)
       
      Carte Blanche “Lady Dior as seen by”

2020
      Winners of the price Collection Société Générale X Beaux-Arts de Paris

      Nominated for Le Prix découverte Louis Roederer 2020, Les Rencontres d’Arles

      Carte Blanche offered by Le Palais de la Découverte and Gaël Charbau

2019
Winners of the public prize of the 34e International Festival of Hyères 2019

 

Finalist of the Voice of a Woman awards 2019 with the short film "Coup de Bol", NYC

Bronze cube ADC award 2020 of The One Club with “Coup de Bol”, NYC

2017
Winner of the 2nd prize of the “Prix Picto de la mode 2017”

 

Selected for the Carte blanche Etro

 

Selected to create the official pictures of the “Festival Photo Saint-Germain”

 

Nominated for the “Galerie du club des AD 2017”

 

Invited for the  “Festival Circulation(s) 2017”

2016
Nominated for “Bourse Révélations Emerige”

 

Nominated for “61e Salon de Montrouge”

 

Finalists of “Prix HSBC pour la photographie”


Residency


2018-2019
Art center Mains d’Œuvres, Saint-Ouen, Paris, (FR)


Parutions


2021
       Photo book “Beyond the Shadows”, Editions H2L2
       Photo book “Percevoir”, Editions La Martinière

2020
Book “New Gen.” by Label Famille

 

Book  “10 ans d’Emerige”

 

Book “Starter” by Li-Lu June

2019
Catalog “Paris Photo”

 

Catalog “34ème Festival de Photographie et de mode de Hyères”

 

Catalog “Some of Us”

2018
Book “1988-2018, 30 ans, la Galerie La Forest Divonne”

2017
Book “Bubble Gum” by Taf Mag

 

Book ‘Fisheye Photobook vol.1”

2016
Catalog “Félicita”

 

Catalog “61ème Salon de Montrouge” 

 

Catalog “Bourse Révélation Emerige”

 

Catalog “Vertige en terrain plat”




© Elsa & Johanna 2020 / 2021