Partner exhibition: Vitreous body, Lara Tabet & Yasmine Chemali
BMW ART MAKERS
Lara Tabet, Sources de l’Huveaune, Bactériographie, impression UV sur verre, 2026 — Courtesy of the artist & BMW ART MAKERS
About
Vitreous Body, whose title refers to the transparent, gelatinous substance that fills the eye and enables the perception of light, is a project that extends the photographic practice of Lara Tabet, a medical biologist and transdisciplinary artist.
Tracing a personal cartography of the waters she has crossed, Lara Tabet collects samples in and around the city of Marseille, France, to develop an experimental bacteriographic protocol
in which aquatic microorganisms interact with photosensitive surfaces such as gelatin layer of color film. Through corrosion and erosion, the forms that emerge do not depict a landscape; they make visible microbiological activity while bringing to light the environmental, and political toxicities that traverse these territories.
In Vitrous Body, these image-ecosystems are translated into contemporary stained glass. Stained glass becomes, a critical surface here, filtering and diffracting, not a sacred scene, but a layered network of circulations, contaminations and ecological interdependencies.
Presented at Paris Photo and on occasion of the Bicentennial of Photography, the project is expanded with a new body of “bioplastic” works, new experimental surfaces that further develop the reflection on the medium’s hybrid nature, reminding us that the image is inseparable from chemistry, alteration, and agency.
Artist and curator portrait by Randa Mizra
Lara Tabet, artist.
Lara Tabet is a Lebanese medical biologist and visual artist based in Marseille, whose work blends life sciences, technology, and the visual arts. She uses experimental photography, bioart, video, installation, and sculpture to repurpose scientific protocols as creative tools, exploring the interactions between biological, technological, and the environment. Trained in clinical pathology in Beirut and in photography in New York, she has exhibited internationally and received several awards, including the Prince Claus Mentorship Award in 2022. A recipient of the European STARTS for Water II program, she has participated in various artist residencies and taught photography in Beirut and Salzburg.
Yasmine Chemali, curator.
Trained in art history, museology, and heritage conservation at the École du Louvre and EHESS, she has been developing a curatorial practice focused on photography, archives, and contemporary issues of representation for over ten years.
She directed the Fouad Debbas Collection, which specializes in 19th and 20th-century photography, and was head of the modern and contemporary art collections at the Sursock Museum in Beirut (2014–2020). Since 2020, she has directed the Mougins Center for Photography, established to promote contemporary photography through exhibitions, residencies, and publications.
Her curatorial approach highlights marginalized narratives and images as tools of power and resistance, favoring understated presentations that encourage a sensitive interpretation of the works. In addition, she works as an independent curator and participates in conferences, while serving on the board of directors of the SARADAR private collection in Beirut.
BMW ART MAKERS & photography
An official partner of Paris Photo since 2003, BMW France is supporting the 2026 edition of the fair as a partner of the VIP program and is providing a fleet of 100% electric vehicles for collectors, artists, gallery owners, and guests attending the fair. BMW is also presenting the winning project from its BMW ART MAKERS cultural sponsorship program, which has been designated a “Bicentennial of Photography” initiative by the Ministry of Culture. Following its debut at the Rencontres d’Arles, The vitreous body, conceived by Lara Tabet and Yasmine Chemali, is coming to Paris Photo with several new works created specifically for this edition. Through this partnership, BMW France reaffirms its long-term commitment to contemporary art and photography.
Stand C01
Program - Paris Photo 2026
Discover the full 2026 Paris Photo program.