PhLAM laboratory seminar: 'Revisiting the Lippmann Process Through the Lens of Contemporary Art and Current Technologies' by Alexandre LE BOURGEOIS and Philippe VERKERK

The next seminar will be led by Alexandre LE BOURGEOIS, AirLab Artist-in-Residence, with Philippe VERKERK, Research Director at PhLAM laboratory, and will focus on 'Revisiting the Lippmann process through the lens of contemporary art and current technologies'

Abstract:

Gabriel Lippmann received the Nobel Prize in 1908 for the development of a process of interferential photography which, unlike trichromy, directly captures the wavelengths of light and color. This technique makes it possible to reproduce the millions of colors perceived by the human eye. A few years later, Auguste Ponsot improved this process during his time at the University of Lille: the resulting plates were rediscovered and have since been listed as Historical Monuments. During this residency, we will experiment with this process using contemporary materials and subjects, on a large scale, in order to renew the practice and the questions it raises.

We will produce several Lippmann photographic prints, from image capture (light spectra with prisms in a laboratory setting, outdoor photography) to print development. This involves working with lights, prisms, glass plates coated with emulsion, as well as chemical products for revealing and fixing the prints. Part of the research will also focus on how to display the prints: which lighting to choose, and which supports to imagine. This residency dedicated to interferential photography lies at the crossroads of art, science, culture, and heritage.

Bio :

Alexandre Le Bourgeois is a Le Havre–based artist and recipient of the 2025–2026 AirLabResidency at the University of Lille. This residency, which brings together art and science, is hosted by the PhLAM laboratory and will draw on the expertise in Lippmann photography of Daniel Hennequin and Philippe Verkerk. Over the course of the academic year, Alexandre will spend three months working in the laboratory.

The abstract is available here.