jean mohr biography - Goldsmiths, University of London

JEAN MOHR BIOGRAPHY Sent to The Methods Lab by Jean Mohr, February 2014 Jean Mohr was born in Geneva September 13. 1925. From German origin, he received the Swiss nationality in 1939. His grand father was the director of Basle Mission, his parents came to live in Geneva in 1919. His father Wolfang Mohr worked as a translator (17 languages) for International Labour Office and later during the War for the International Commitee of the Red Cross. Very hostile to what was happening in Germany with Hitler, he asked the Swiss nationality in 1936 and got it in 1939, just before the beginning of the War. Jean is the third child of a six children family, (four brothers and one sister). After primary school at Brechbühl school in Geneva, and secondary school in the Calvin College of Geneva, he received a Master degree in Economic and Social Sciences at the Geneva University. He worked afterwards one year in the world of advertising, then left for Middle East where he worked with Palestinian refugees as a representative of the International Comittee of the Red Cross and later for UNRWA. He then studied painting in Paris (Académie Julian) before coming to photography at the age of 30. A profession he practises with passion to this day. He married in 1956 Simone Turrettini (Master Degree in sciences before becoming film director at the Swiss TV (Télévision Suisse romande where she got many International awards for her documentaries in Switzerland and abroad.) At the Swiss National exhibition of 1964, Jean Mohr was chosen as one of the 50 artists forming “la Voie Suisse” His pavillion was illustrating the Swiss economic and social freedom. In 1978, he obtained a prize in Köln for the photographer having most worked for the cause of Human Rights, then in 1984, he received the Prize of the Contemporary Photography in Lausanne with the exhibition “C’était demain” ("It was yesterday") and 1988 the Prize of the City of Geneva for the Plastic Arts( for the first time given to a photographer.) They have two sons : Michel the older is living now in Hawaii after having received the title of Doctor in Religious History in April 1999 Professor of Zen Buddhism and Researcher in Kyoto at the Hanazono University (the equivalent of CNRS) in Japan. He is now professor of oriental religions in Hawaii University. He is married with Yurika Kameya (HEI Diplom in Geneva) and they have two boys: Samuel, 16 years old and Louis 10 years old. Patrick the second son, after finishing an artistic maturity at the College Claparède in Geneva worked at the beginning as a photographer. He made some long trips to Papoo New Guinea, Salmon Islands, then to Africa, mainly Burkina Faso. Back to Europe , he decided to dedicate himself to theater, and obtained the diploma of Lecoq school in Paris. He met there his wife Michèle Millner (Australian) with whom he founded just after his coming back to Geneva, the Theatre Spirale (20 years now) and presented many shows in french Switzerland, in Africa, in Finland, in the U.S.A. and in France (Avignon, Limoges, Paris). Today, they have two children: a girl Mia (24) and a boy Leo (20). He divorced two years ago and remarried with Cathy Sarr from Senegal. MAIN EXHIBITIONS 1961 -­‐ JEAN MOHR Musée d’Art et d’Histoire of Geneva (salle des Casemates) -­‐ Swiss Images in Pyong Yang1964 -­‐ “La Voie Suisse” Pavillon on the Swiss social and economic freedoms at the National exhibition of Lausanne and participation to other sectors-­‐ 1968 -­‐ “Donner à Voir” (Give to see) with Nicolas Bouvier. Cabinet des Estampes Geneva 1969 -­‐ “Donner à voir “Maison des Arts Thonon France. -­‐ “Donner à voir” Galerie Rencontre, Bruxelles. -­‐ “Donner à voir” Galerie Form. Zürich. 1970 -­‐ “Moscou-­‐New York” Bel-­‐Air. Geneva. -­‐ “Moscou-­‐New York Le Lignon Geneva 1972 -­‐ “Bangla Desh” Bel-­‐Air. Geneva -­‐ “Bangla Desh” St. Gall University 1974 -­‐ “Nepal” Gallery 38. Zürich. 1975 -­‐ “1+1=2 ou 3” Athénée. Geneva. -­‐ “The Seventh Man” Canon Gallery Amsterdam. 1976 -­‐ “Le Septième homme” Fnac Montparnasse. Paris. (The same exhibition has been taken afterwards by 6 french towns, 3 german cities, Basle and Zürich -­‐ “Makarios Palace” Cyprus. Canon Gallery Geneva. 1977 -­‐ “Makarios Palace” Cyprus. Musée Niepce. Châlon sur Saône (France) -­‐ “Le Pouvoir” (Power) University of Geneva for the International Encounters of Geneva. -­‐ “Un photographe parmi les hommes” (A photographer amongst men) Kunsthaus Zürich, an exhibition taken afterwards in six english towns. 1978 -­‐ “Two portraits and a story” Goldsmith College University of London. -­‐ “Work and Leisure” Photokina Köln (Award given to the photographer having worked most for the Human Rights in the World” 1979 -­‐ “Promenade hors du temps” (Rajastan) Galerie den Berg. Geneva . -­‐ “Former l’homme” International Encounters of Geneva. -­‐ “Le septième homme” Paulus Akademie Zürich. 1980 -­‐ “Lanzarote est une île” Lanzarote (Geneva University). 1981 -­‐ « Etre paysan aujourd’hui en Haute-­‐Savoie. Maison des Arts, Thonon, France. -­‐ “Etre paysan aujourd’hui en Haute-­‐Savoie”, Onion. France. 1982 -­‐ “Le Choix des autres” Galerie le Trépied. Genève. -­‐ ”The other England” Theatre National. Londres (participation) 1983 -­‐ ”Palestinians” United Nations”, Geneva. 1984 -­‐ ”C’était demain” (It was yesterday). Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne. Prize of the contemporary photography. 1985 -­‐”L’autre mémoire”. (The other memory”) Musée Rath. Geneva. 1986 -­‐”Salut l’artiste !” Palais de l’Athénée. Geneva. : -­‐”Photographier la musique” Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne. 1987 -­‐”Nicaragua” Collège de Stael., Geneva. 1988 -­‐”Le lien social” Festival de la Bâtie. Geneva. Uni II, Geneva. -­‐”Images et textes” Musée Niepce, Châlon sur Saône, France. 1990 -­‐”Children” Photography Centre, Geneva. 1991 -­‐”Paysans de Haute-­‐Savoie” Foto Museum, Braunschweig, Deutschland. 1992 -­‐” Rétrospective” Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne. -­‐”L’Oiseau blanc”. Villa du Parc, Annemasse. France. 1993 -­‐”En voyage avec Jean Mohr, Solothurn Museum, an exhibition travelling still now, with Villi Hermann’s film (Bern, St. Gall, Germany). 1994 -­‐” Portraits of John Berger” New York University School of Arts, an exhibition which travelled in different american Universities. 1995 -­‐”Visages et masques”. Bologne, Italy. -­‐”Choix sentimental” Centre of the Contemporary image, St. Gervais, Geneva. 1996 -­‐ “Building site” St. Gervais Theatre, Geneva. -­‐ “Theatre Spirale”, Galerie la Ferme, Sion, and Theatre de la Parfumerie, Geneva. -­‐”Writer’s Panorama” Bibliothèque de la Cité, Geneva. (Zoé, Publishing house). 1997 -­‐”Check-­‐up” Two exhibitions ) simultaneusly to the show) in the FNAC Montparnasse and in the Théâtre de la Colline, Paris. 1998 -­‐ “Building sites pictures” Villa Edelstein, Geneva. -­‐”30 years of friendship, Manuel Torrès” Vuillerens Castle, Vaud. -­‐”Africa” Color pictures, Johannesburg, Capetown for the International Union of Telecommunications. 1999 -­‐ “ Losinger Building site”, Neuchâtel, (Building the Australian Mission and demolishing temporarely another site at La Tribune de Genève) -­‐ “Himalaya’s contreforts”, Two exhibitions in the Télévision Suisse romande, Geneva and in the Club 44, la Chaux-­‐ de-­‐ Fonds in connection with the Media North-­‐South Festival. -­‐ “Les oubliés de la vigne”, Vevey, Color pictures besides the Vineyards feast. 2000 -­‐”At the Edge of the World”. Jean Mohr is representing Switzerland for “Travelling photographers” in the Bibliothèque municipale, Bordeaux, France. 2001 -­‐”Derrière le miroir” "Behind the mirror"A big travelling exhibition on three floors and garden, at the Ethnography Museum (annexe de Conches ). 2001 -­‐ "Edhi Foundation in Pakistan" Exhibition in Milano for Balzan Prize 2002 -­‐ "Au bout du monde" (At the edge of the world) same exhibition in Bordeaux (France) 2012 -­‐ "Algeria, 50 years after independance" in the Palais des lumières, Evian. France. 2013 -­‐ "Jean Mohr and the victims of war" Geneva, United Nations Palace, a travelling exhibition in many different countries for 4 years. VARIOUS COLLABORATIONS Jean Mohr has worked for many films of the Télévision Suisse romande, the BBC, the ZDF. He followed the Orchestre de la Suisse romande during 10 years as well as the Festival of North-­‐South Medias and the Amadeus Festival, the annual distibution of Prizes of the foundation Jeantet of Medicine. Exhibitions Openings and a number of pictures of friends artists or writers. He was known also by the publication of some calenders, such as Nicaragua, Music, also by serial of postcards for the photography museums. Theatre He worked also quite a lot for theatre, mainly with the Théatre de Carouge at the time of François Simon, and with different theatres such as the theatre of St. Gervais these 3 last years. Particularly with the show “Check up” given by Carlo Brandt with Texts by Edward Bond, with pictures projected on a huge screen (4m on 10 m) given at the St-­‐ Gervais Theatre, then in the municipal Theatre of Avignon, at the Theatre de la Colline in Paris in 1997 then in Bruxelles and Nantes. A show which gave birth to the book “Check-­‐up” in 1997 at the Publishing house l’Arche in Paris, with Edward Bond texts-­‐ International Organisations. He has also worked for many years with international organisations in Europe, Asia, South America, Australia (WHO, ILO, UNHCR, ICRC, LCCR and for NGO such as AJDC (in Italy, France, Tunisia, Iran) Swissaid Aga Khan Foundation in Pakistan. BIBLIOGRAPHY Jean Mohr has also published some more books: here is a non exhaustive list: -­‐ Ernest Ansermet, Publishing house Kister, 1961, Geneva. -­‐ J’aime les Marionnettes, Publishing house Rencontre, Lausanne 1962. -­‐ Serial Atlas des Voyages from 1962 to 1968 , Publishing house Rencontre Lausanne,.Yougoslavia, Ireland, Finland, Danemark, Sweden, Norway, Middle West, New York a.s.o. -­‐” A Fortunate Man”. Penguin Books. London. 1967. Text John Berger, Photos Jean Mohr, published later in United States, in Japan(1994) and in Germany. -­‐”La Suisse insolite” 2 volumes 1971. Photos couleurs. from Jean Mohr, text Louis Gaulis, Publishing house Mondo Switzerland. -­‐ “The seventh man” or the migrant workers in Europe, photos Jean Mohr, text John Berger, Maspero Publishing house, Paris and published afterwards in England, in Spain and in Germany. -­‐ “Une autre façon de raconter”, photos Jean Mohr, texts Jean Mohr and John Berger, éd. Maspero, Paris, published afterwards by Hanser Germany (eine ander Art zu erzählen), Granta England (Another way of telling) Pantheon, Vintage books (U.S.A.) Palabras de Arte (Otra manera de contar 1995 (Spain). -­‐ “Un peu de texte ou pas du tout.” Photos et textes de Jean Mohr, édition Journal de Genève, Genève. -­‐ “Les métiers de la rue”. Photos Jean Mohr, text Jil Silberstein.. éditions Favre. Suisse. -­‐ Encyclopedia of Geneva, 10 volumes with Jean Mohr pictures. Geneva. -­‐ “After the last sky” About palestinian lives. Photos Jean Mohr, text Edward Saïd (Pantheon books U.S.A.) -­‐ “Art and Revolution “ Photos Jean Mohr, text John Berger (Vintage books U.S.A.). -­‐ “Armin Jordan, Portrait d’un Chef “ Photos Jean Mohr, Text Jean-­‐Jacques Roth, Zoé Publishing house, Geneva 1997. -­‐ “Re-­‐naissance, villa Edelstein” Photos Jean Mohr, introduction Marie Gaulis., Goerg Publishing house Geneva 1998.. -­‐”At the Edge of the world” Text and Photos Jean Mohr with an introduction of John Berger (A sketch for a portrait) Reaktion books Publisihing house, London (1999). -­‐”Derrière le miroir”Slatkine Publishing house Geneva (2000). Photos Jean Mohr, texts Bernard Crettaz, Jean-­‐Philippe Rapp, John and Katia Berger. -­‐« Au Bout du Monde ». Demaure Publishing house, Lausanne, Texts and photos Jean Mohr (introduction by John Berger). -­‐ "Side to side or Face to Face. 50 years of pictures from Jean Mohr in Israël and Palestine" Publishing house Labor and Fides Geneva. -­‐ "Jean Mohr and the press freedom" for Reporters without boarders" Publishing house Labor and Fides Geneva. -­‐ Derrière le masque. Editions Labor et Fides Geneva, November 2013 Jean Mohr’s Texts Otherwise, Jean Mohr has written himself quite a number of texts on photography. -­‐ A.B.C. of the photographer (Tribune de Genève, Basler Zeitung) 1961. -­‐ Story of one picture (Tribune de Genève, Basler Zeitung, New Society) -­‐ Weekly serial for the Journal de Genève. -­‐ Proverbs and photography. -­‐ Confession of a photographer (Temps Stratégique). -­‐ Another way of telling (Maspero,Granta, Hanser, Pantheon, Vintage books) -­‐ A little bit of text or none (Un peu de texte ou pas du tout) Journal de Genève, Publishing house. and many photo-­‐stories for various newspapers and magazines ( Tages Anzeiger, das Magazin, Radio TV Je Voit Tout, l’Illustré,Schweizer Illustrierte, a.s.o. -­‐ “At the Edge of the World”, Reaktion books, Londres 1999. -­‐”Au Bout du Monde “ Demaure Publishing house, Lausanne. 2001 -­‐ "Behind the mask, my face" (Publishing house Labor and Fides in Geneva. FORTHCOMING PUBLICATIONS -­‐ “ The Ventriloquous Bird” A three voices story in Argentina. -­‐ "John by Jean, fifty years of friendship" TEACHING, SEMINARIES, LECTURES Mohr is known as well for his work of teaching and his lectures, see some of them in the following list : -­‐ Seminary on mountain people with John Berger at the Goldsmith College of London and in three english Universities. -­‐ Seminary on Photo-­‐stories in Arles, 1978. -­‐ Teaching photography at the University of Geneva in 1980 -­‐ Seminary in Montpellier in 1981. -­‐ Lectures at the Palais de l’ Athénée in 1985 (Blue, blue, blue, Importance of the grey in color photography, A talking photographer is a doubtful photographer) a.s.o. -­‐ Lecture about Argentina at the Geneva University. -­‐ Seminary at Philadelphia University (Annenberg school of Communications) on the various arab speaking populations in Israël. (Sepharads, Druses, Beduins, israelian arabs and palestinians) Date ? Seminary in Guadalaja (Mexico) on the relations between text and images (1993) -­‐Seminary in Marseille in 1994 on the Mediterranéan countries. -­‐ Seminary in 1998 (Valencia Palau de Moneda University) On the relations between texts and images. -­‐ Lecture in 1999 with John Berger at the Royal Academy of Arts in London on the relations between texts and images Films made with or on Jean Mohr : “Jean Mohr, Un photographe parmi les hommes” de Claude Goretta (1975) 60 min. TSR. “Pig Earth” from Michael Dibb London 1979 with John Berger 60 min. BBC “Another way of telling” 4 films de 30 min. de John Christie 1988 on his collaboration with John Berger (relations between texts and photos). BBC. “Play me something” from Tim Neat, British Film Institute. The film shows country sides, and the story between a man and a woman counted in black and white pictures from Jean Mohr as a photo novel. “En voyage avec Jean Mohr” de Villi Herman. (Imago film)1993. 90 minutes “Un opéra sur les travailleurs migrants “ : “Gastarbeiter” Bonn 1987. (Musique de Vinko Globokar) color and black and white pictures on two screens replacing the singers. “Photo et cinéma, l’exemple de Jean Mohr “une thèse de Walter Wehmeyer réalisée à l’école de cinéma de Münich. Jean Mohr et le CICR (carte blanche aux romands par Simone Mohr) SRG FILMS ON OR WITH JEAN MOHR Some films have been made on him as “A photographer amongst men” from Claude Goretta (1975 (60 min. TSR.: “Pig Earth” from Michael Dibb London 1979 with John Berger (60 min.) BBC. “Another way of telling” 4 thirty minutes films, from John Christie (1988) on his relationship with John Berger (relations between texts and images) BBC. “Play me something” from Tim Neat, British Film Institute (Date ?) the film shows landscapes and the story between a men and a woman is shown in black and white pictures form Jean Mohr like a photo-­‐novel. “En voyage avec Jean Mohr” (Travelling with Jean Mohr, from Villi Hermann, a 90 min. film on Jean’s travels in Japan, Pakistan and Russia) -­‐ An opera on Migrant workers from Vinko Globokar where pictures in color and black and white are replacing the singers on two huge screens. -­‐“Photo and cinema”, a thesis of Walter Wehmeyer for the München cinema school on Jean Mohr’s work. -­‐ Jean Mohr and the International Comittee of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent for SRG and TSR by Simone Mohr. (1998)