Johny Pitts — Black Bricolage

In 2010, Johny Pitts embarked on a journey across Europe, driven by a simple question: what does it mean to be Black and European? The exhibition “Black Bricolage,” presented at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, gathers the fruits of this exploration, offering a new perspective on often invisible Afro-European communities. Pitts, through photographs, notebooks, and testimonies, deconstructs stereotypes and sheds light on the complexity of identity, focusing on the everyday realities of residents of Clichy-sous-Bois, Marseille, or Freetown. The exhibition, the result of meticulous fieldwork and an empathetic approach, is based on direct encounters and careful observations, refusing nostalgia and prioritizing the ordinary. Pitts, inspired by his own multicultural heritage – his Brooklyn-born father and his English mother – seeks to validate the natural and essential presence of Blackness at the heart of European history and culture. A poetic and committed work that invites deep reflection on belonging and memory. The exhibition is accessible from April 10th to May 24th, 2026.