A scientist by training, Lionel Bayol-Thémines graduated from ENSP-Arles. He is a resident of the Fondation nationale des artistes and teaches photography at L'ESADHaR in Rouen.

Inspired by the philosopher Vilem Flusser - who questioned the history of images and their creative process - and artists such as Joan Fontcuberta, who worked on the “truth” of photography and its capacity to represent reality, Lionel Bayol-Thémines creates singular images that challenge the capacity of digital photography to generate other “realities”. The artist also asserts the material dimension of images, creating devices that are true photographic sculptures.

Lionel Bayol-Thémines experiments with landscape representation using Google Earth software and the impact of artificial intelligence on the representation of our living spaces. His work focuses on exploring and documenting these virtual models, questioning the distribution of images and the programs that generate them. In 2018 his project “Flux Scape”, was selected for the national photographic commission “Flux a society in motion” Ministry of Culture, CNAP. In 2019, his project “After Nadar” was selected for the photographic commission of the Mission Photographique du Grand Est. From 2019 to 2021, he was invited by the University of Strasbourg for the Supplementary elements residency, which led to the “Low Space Oddity” project initiated with the Center for Space Documentation in Strasbourg (CDS). In 2022, he began collaborative work with neural networks (AI) and explored other possibilities linked to experimental photography and its history. To date, several research projects have been undertaken, including “War.AI”, “Ai Ge- nerated (another story of experimental photographs with machines)” and “Playing with John Baldessari and machines”.

Born in 1968, Lionel Bayol-Thémines lives and works in Paris, France.

SOLO SHOWS

2022 “Mission photographique du Grand Est“ Projet “After Nadar,“ L’image automatisée, un nouveau médium de documentation et d’analyse du territoire?, L’arsenal, Metz, France
2022 Supplémentary Elements, Résidence de recherche CNRS, CDS, Projet Low Space oddity, SUAC, Strasbourg, France
2021 “Mission photographique du Grand Est“ Projet “After Nadar,“ L’image automatisée, un nouveau médium de documentation et d’analyse du territoire?, Festival Urbi & Orbi, Sedan, France
2020 “Flux une société en mouvement”, Ministère de la Culture, CNAP, projet “Flux Scape“, Photaumnales Beauvais, France
2019 “Google as a medium“ Korea International Photo Festival, Seoul, Corée du Sud
2019 “Google as a medium“, galerie ESADHaR, Le Havre, France
2018 “High Land“ Edition Enigmatiques, le Studiolo Galerie de France, Paris
2017 Artothèque, Espace d’art contemporain de Caen, France
2016 Photo18 Festivals Bruxelles, Belgique
2015 Biennale internationale de design de St Etienne, France
2012 Paris Photo, Saint-Germain-des-Près, galerie Maia Muller, Paris, France
2009 Le Cube, Art 3OOO, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
2009 PPP (Parcours parisien de la Photographie), Galerie 1900-2000, France
2008 Biennale internationale de la photographie, Timisoara, Roumanie
2005 Fondation nationale des arts graphiques et plastiques (FNAGP), Hôtel Salomon de Rotschild, Paris, France
2004 Art Paris, solo show, Carrousel du Louvre, galerie Christian Croset, Paris, France
2003 Galerie Past Ray, Yokohama, Japon
2002 Musée ATHA, Vitoria, Espagne
2002 Galerie H2O, (Primavera Fotográfica), Barcelona, Espagne
2000 Galerie 1900-2000, Paris, France
2000 Galerie H2O, Biennale de Barcelone (Primavera), Espagne
1999 Galerie Issis, Kyoto, Japon
1999 Galerie Hokari, Tokyo, Japon
1998 Photo Espana 98, Galerie Buades, Madrid, Espagne 1996 Galerie XS, Bâle, Suisse
1995 Biennale internationale de la photographie, Turin, Italie

GROUP SHOWS

2024 “What if it was all just a mirage?”, Bigaignon, Paris, France
2024 Extended Approche Commissariat Dominique Moulon, Emilia Guenuardi, Paris, France
2024 (UN) REAL, Commissariat Dominique Moulon, Janine Sarbu, Santiago Torres, Paris, France
2024 “Réactivations”, Danae.Io, Paris, France
2023 “La photographie à l’épreuve de la matière”, BNF, Paris, France
2023 Paris Photo, Bigaignon, Paris, France
2023 Marais DigitArt, Bigaignon, Paris, France
2022 “Reinventar las orillas”, Musée de l’eau, Medelin, Colombie
2022 “Radical Perspectives”, Bigaignon, Paris, France
2021 “Des mondes Possibles“, Mérignac, France
2020 “La photographie à l’épreuve de l’abstraction”, Frac Rouen Normandie, France

DISTINCTIONS 

2020 Short listé commande Publique Tisséo Metro de Toulouse 3eme ligne station Ecole Polytechnique
2019 Lauréat de la commande publique “Mission photographique du Grand Est“
​2018 Lauréat de la commande publique“Flux une société en mouvement“Ministère de la Culture, CNAP
2005 Bourse de recherche du nouveau Musée Mac/val Vitry sur Seine
2004 Résidence pour la Fondation Nationale des Arts Graphiques et Plastiques Paris
2000 Lauréat de l’aide individuelle à la création (Ministère de la culture)
1995 Lauréat de l’aide individuelle à la création (Ministère de la culture)

COLLECTIONS

Centre National des Arts plastiques, France
Frac Normandie, France
Bibliothèque Nationale de France
Région Grand Est, France
Arent Collection, Luxembourg
Fondation Nationale des Artistes, France
Maison Européenne de la photographie, France
Fond Raphael Tous – MACBA Museu d’Art contemporani, Espagne
Fondation Auer Ory, Suisse
Collection Ruan Redon – Fondation Colectania, Espagne
Musée ATHA Vitoria, Espagne
Musée ken Damy, Italie
Collection de la ville de Lyon, France
Artothèque de Caen, France
Artothèque de Nantes, France