This exhibition at the Museo Nacional del Romanticismo showcases the photographic work of Germaine Krull, documenting her 1941 voyage from Marseille to Martinica aboard the cargo ship 'Capitaine-Paul-Lemerle'. The exhibition reconstructs this journey of exile for refugees fleeing World War II Europe, alongside prominent cultural figures.
The Museo Nacional del Romanticismo presents 'Germaine Krull. Crónica de un exilio', an exhibition that delves into the significant journey undertaken by the avant-garde photographer Germaine Krull in March 1941. Traveling from Marseille to Martinica on the cargo ship 'Capitaine-Paul-Lemerle', Krull documented the experiences of diverse passengers, including Jewish refugees, Spanish Republicans, and other exiles fleeing a war-torn Europe, as well as notable cultural figures like André Breton, Jacqueline Lamba, and Claude Lévi-Strauss. Curated by Neus Miró, the exhibition draws upon photographs from the collection of Olivier and Michka Assayas, children of filmmaker Jacques Rémy who also made the voyage, alongside texts by Rémy and Krull herself.
The exhibition is structured into five sections, tracing the journey from Marsella through Orán and Casablanca to Martinica. It highlights Krull's sincere and direct photographic style, which offered a departure from her established work and marked a turning point in her career. These images, accompanied by documents and a map of the colonial French Empire, provide a poignant record of the arduous crossing. The exhibition also touches upon Krull's subsequent experiences in French Guiana and her stay in Rio de Janeiro, contrasting with Rémy's path to Buenos Aires. As a participant in PHotoESPAÑA 2022 and part of the museum's thematic year of photography, the exhibition celebrates Krull's legacy and sheds light on a lesser-known aspect of her impactful oeuvre.