Le château des photographes” exhibition

In 2026, the Musée de Normandie's new exhibition weaves together a recent history of the château with photographers' views of its transformation from a military building to a historic monument, now a place of culture and heritage.

Caen castle, an enclave in the heart of the city, stands apart in both urban planning and iconography. Long ignored by photography, as military buildings were in the 19th century, it became the focus of attention at the end of the Second World War as the transformation began that gradually transformed it into a heritage, museum and tourist attraction.

The exhibition has been conceived as an album of photographs of the château, from the first known image in 1861 to the present day. The collection of 150 previously unpublished works and documents offers a dual point of view: that of the experts - historians, archaeologists, town planners - who produce a standardised documentary image, and that of the photographers who capture the material, the light and the soul of the place. These images reflect the identity of the château, which is constantly being redefined, and reveal, through its metamorphoses, the history of this emblematic building.

Exhibition produced in partnership with Ardi - Photographies, Association Régionale pour la Diffusion de l'Image en Normandie. Scientific curator: Céline Ernaelsteen, historian of photography, project manager for Ardi - Photographies.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION :
- Exhibition catalogue: "Le château des photographes", published by Octopus, 21x28 cm, 152 pages, 200 illustrations, €22. On sale in the exhibition shop (Salles du Rempart).
- For families: giant "Hunt and Seek", "Decalque ton château" activity, expression wall, reading corner, Mémory games for non-reading children, photobooth and video area. Free games booklet for 7-13 year-olds.
- Events for all: Guided tours, workshops, photo courses, meetings with photographic artists...

Accessibility :
Visits in lip-reading and translated into LSF
-Descriptive and tactile tours
Self-guided facilities: FALC booklet, tour of the exhibition translated or accessible in LSF, multi-sensory tables around 4 works in the exhibition, with content accessible to all 4 types of disability: motor, mental, visual and hearing.

OPENING WEEKEND
Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 April 2026
>Free admission for all
>Flash tours at 2.30pm, 3.30pm and 4.30pm (free, subject to availability)