"Algérie - Photographies d'une Guerre Sans Images" evokes the universality of violence and the complexity of civil conflict. While it is impossible to equate Algeria and Lebanon’s respective experiences of war, this exhibition, hosted by UMAM D&R, cannot fail to confront the Lebanese public with their own violent history.

During Algeria’s civil war between the government and Islamic extremists, Michael von Graffenried bore witness to the conflict, capturing unique images of the war itself, its horrific effects and the hope that remained in the midst of despair. Between 1991 and 2001, the Swiss photographer’s insight into a world of terror, massacres, executions, torture and forced disappearances illuminates the use of violence by all parties to the conflict, and at the same time avoids miring the spectator in pity or hopelessness. 

The exhibition was accompanied by a screening of the film "War without Images - Algeria, I know that you know," which follows the return of Michael von Graffenried to Algeria, and his reunions with subjects of the photos he “stole.”

This exhibition was made possible thanks to Pro Helvetia and the institutional support from medico international.

Michael von Graffenried was born in Switzerland in 1957 and is now living and working in Paris. Self-taught, he began working as a photographer in 1978. He has been published in many major international magazines and newspapers and has been exhibited widely. He has one man shows among others in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, and Algiers. His photographs are held in severals permanent museums collections. He published several books, among them: “Sudan. The forgotten war” (1995), “Naked in Paradiese” (Dewi Lewis Stockport GB1997), “Inside Algeria” (Aperture, New York City 1998), and recently “Cocainelve” (Benteli Publishers Bern 2005).