Since it was invented, photography has been at the centre of violent debates and sensational trials.

That is the theme of this exhibition which, through more than 80 images taken from the earliest days of photography up until the present day, explores the ethical and legal questions they have raised. Far from any moral judgment, the exhibition aims to be strictly historical: it poses the question of societies’ and cultures’ outlook on images of their time and the meaning they attribute to them.

A short text appears alongside each image displayed, providing visitors with a summary of the issues. The images being exhibited include, in particular, Kissing Nun by Oliviero Toscani for Benetton, whose publication was eventually banned by the Italian authorities under pressure from the Vatican. Other images which have had an influence on their period include Le Drapeau Rouge sur le Reichstag by Evgueni Khaldei, taken on 2nd May 1945 on the roof of the burning Reichstag and the photo of Buzz Aldrin’s first steps on the moon.