It was in a brief press release that the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP), in Paris, announced on September 9 the departure of Simon Baker, its director since 2018. “After seven years of an intense and dynamic artistic collaboration, the MEP announces the end of Simon Baker’s mandate as director,” the statement read. The formula, terse, leaves lingering questions: nothing suggested such an outcome, especially as Baker’s term had only just been renewed.
When Simon Baker took over the MEP in April 2018, he succeeded Jean-Luc Monterosso, the institution’s founding director. His programming, more international in outlook and committed to women and younger generations, quickly made its mark — with exhibitions by Ren Hang or Coco Capitán, rarely seen in Paris before at this scale.
Under his direction, the numbers appeared solid: in 2023, attendance reached 175,564 visitors. The following year, the institution reported a net operating surplus of €145,000, compared with a loss of €182,000 in 2023. Acquisitions amounted to €123,000, while donations reached €461,000. Yet neither side wished to elaborate on the reasons for the departure, leaving an implicit tension; discussions between lawyers are said to be ongoing.
The board of directors, chaired since February 2024 by Jacques Bungert, has offered no details about the circumstances — was it a voluntary departure, or a decision imposed? With silence weighing on the causes, the question remains open: a breakdown of trust, or an unexplained strategic decision?
While awaiting a new appointment, the governance of the MEP has been entrusted to Caroline Miller (general administrator), with Clothilde Morette ensuring continuity of programming and artistic direction.
More information on the Maison Européenne de la Photographie here.
