Established in 2007 by Adélie de Ipanema and her brother, Edouard Genestar, Polka Galerie is located in the heart of the Marais district in Paris. The gallery represents over thirty photographers. Each year, within its 300 sq. meters divided into two spaces, the gallery organizes ten exhibitions, which question the different forms of the Document within modern and contemporary pratices.
Since its creation, the gallery has, amongst others, financed the production of the following works: “Ali + Klein” (the first twenty-five “painted contacts” from the series “Ali, 1964-1974”) and “Brooklyn + Klein”, two recent works by William KLEIN; “In Advance of a Broken Arm” and “Photographs in 3 Acts” by Ethan LEVITAS; “Nightmare Republic part 1 & 2” by Stanley GREENE; “Africa-America” by Philippe GUIONIE. In collaboration with the Daido Moriyama Foundation, the gallery has also produced “Labyrinth + Monochome”, an installation shown at the Rencontres d’Arles in 2013 of Daido MORIYAMA’s work.


The gallery has also introduced or re-introduced the works of the following artists: Alexander GRONSKY with “The Edge” (Foam Paul Huf Award, 2010) “Mountains & Waters” and “Pastoral”; Yves MARCHAND et Romain MEFFRE with “Theaters” and “Gunkanjima”; as well as the richness of the work of Daido MORIYAMA with the “Daido Moriyama Cycle”, three consecutive exhibitions which took place from September 2012 to February 2013.


Beyond exhibiting seminal pieces, the gallery organizes unique performances such as the “Silkscreen Workshop” – a variation on Moriyama’s famous “printing shows” — and “Brooklyn + Klein Lab” a singular happening on May 24th, 2014. The public will take part in the live production of exhibitions prints under the supervision of William Klein himself.


The gallery works closely with several institutions, such as the Musée Nicéphore Niépce regarding the valorization of Stanley GREENE’s archives and the Louis Vuitton Foundation for whom Yves MARCHAND and Romain MEFFRE are documenting the construction of the new building located in the Bois-de-Boulogne designed by Frank Gehry and set to open its doors in October.
In 2012, the gallery initiated a photographic publication program with Daido MORIYAMA’s “Paris 88/89” (Poursuite publ., 2012); Toshio SHIBATA’s “Contacts” (Poursuite publ., 2013). Three additional titles are set to come out in 2014: Philippe GUIONIE’s “Swimming in the Black Sea” (Filigranes publ.), William KLEIN’s “Brooklyn + Klein” (Contrasto publ.) and Ethan LEVITAS’ “In Advance of a Broken Arm” (work in progress).


Polka Galerie has been a member of the “Comité Professionnel des Galeries d’Art” since March 2012 and of the “Association des Galeries d’Art” since September 2011.
Polka also produces the quarterly “Polka Magazine”, created by Alain Genestar, which explores with an open mind the vitality of contemporary and modern photography. With a print run of 50.000 copies, the magazine is distributed across France and in all the major international cities.