What are young photographers doing at the beginning of the 21st century? How do they view the world? To what extent do they adhere to tradition, draw inspiration from it, or reject it? As the digital revolution continues its relentless advance, destroying long-established practices in every field of photography, is it possible to predict the path that the new generation of photographers will take?

reGeneration – one of the largest and most ambitious projects of its kind – attempted to answer these questions in 2005 by revealing a panorama of emerging photography. Following the success of the first edition, regeneration 2, unveils 80 photographers, from 30 countries. Responding to an international competition launched by the Musée de l'Elysée, 120 art and photography schools submitted the work of over 700 students. The curators strived to maintain the same open-mindedness throughout the selection process, whether the photographers were driven by a documentary or artistic vocation, whether they worked on film or were experts in pixel editing, whether they fleshed out their work with a detailed concept or favored spontaneous shooting.

reGeneration2 showcases the creativity and ingenuity of photographers on the cusp of their careers. All navigate the changing environment of this second decade of the 21st century and address themes as diverse as urban space, globalization, identity, and memory, through often hybrid practices that more than ever blur the lines between reality and fiction.

Images by:
Ueli Alder, Yann Amstutz, George Awde, Kristoffer Axen, Anna Beeke, Benjamin Beker, Joshua Bilton, Bogdan Andrei Bordeianu, Savas Boyraz, Thibault Brunet, Maxime Brygo, Christine Callahan, Tehila Cohen, Jen Davis, David de Beyter, Nicolas Delaroche, Sylvia Doebelt, Dru Donovan, Eliza Jane Dyball, Lina El Yafi, Salvatore Michele Elefante, David Favrod, Daniela Friebel, Robin Friend, Matthieu Gafsou, Anne Golaz, Lena Gomon, Nick Graham, Audrey Guiraud, Claudia Hanimann, Florian Joye, Kalle Kataila, Daniel Kaufmann, Chang Kyun Kim, Ani Kington, Markus Klingenhäger, Richard Kolker, Sylwia Kowalczyk, Ania Krupiakov, Ivar Kvaal, Elisa Larvego, Shane Lavalette, Sunghee Lee, Jacinthe Lessard-L., Di Liu, Sophie T. Lvoff, Agata Madejska, David Molander, Agnes Eva Molnar, Richard Mosse, Milo Newman, Yusuke Nishimura, Ya’ara Oren, Anna Orlowska, Jennifer Osborne, Margo Ovcharenko, Nelli Palomäki, Regine Petersen, Augustin Rebetez, Andrea Star Reese, Nicole Robson, Camila Rodrigo Grana, Simone Rosenbauer, Sasha Rudensky, Catherine Rüttimann, Su Sheng, Ady Shimony, Geoffrey H. Short, Shimin Song, Megumu Takasaki, Jamie Tiller, Janneke van Leeuwen, Frederick Vidal, Tereza Vlckova, Saana Wang, Robert Watermeyer, Adrian Wood, Liu Xiaofang, Tamara Zibners, Barbora and Radim Zurek.