“The Shadow of Your Dreams”, an exhibition by Muriel Pénicaud at the Museum of Photography of Saint-Louis and at the Galerie de Dakar
The Shadow of Your Dreams, an exhibition by Muriel Pénicaud, is on display until early July at MuPho La Galerie in Dakar, and until November 30, 2025, at the Museum of Photography in Saint-Louis.
About the exhibition
Through The Shadow of Your Dreams, Muriel Pénicaud's exhibition at the Saint-Louis Museum of Photography and the gallery in Dakar, we invite you to discover a dialogue between her photography and poetry.
Muriel Pénicaud's photographs capture those fleeting moments when everyday life reveals its mysterious side. Like a shadow dancing in the moonlight that seems to reach out to a crescent moon, she patiently waits for the moment when light, movement, and emotion align. Nothing is predetermined; she allows herself to be guided by her intuition.
Each photograph invites you to slow down and rediscover the hidden beauty in the ordinary, whether it's the depth of a gaze or the ancient strength of a tree. She takes us to the edge of our dreams, memories, and desires.
Flight is a recurring theme in her work. It symbolizes freedom, courage, and transcendence. Photographing birds in flight has taught her patience and the art of capturing the grace of a fleeting moment. Her lens becomes a witness to what usually escapes our hurried gaze.
The poems by Birago Diop and Rennie Yotova do not simply illustrate her photographs; they initiate a dialogue with them. These poetic voices sometimes extend what the image suggests, sometimes question it, and occasionally even offer a completely different interpretation. Together, they resonate and form a dance where each language retains its uniqueness while participating in a deeper conversation about our experience of the world.
It is in this space between image and word that something new is born—a field of perception where you, the viewer, become the creator. You are free to weave your own connections, to let yourself be carried away by the emotions that arise, and perhaps to recognize an echo of your own reveries.
We invite you to slow down and let yourself be carried away by this dance between the visible and the invisible. Open your senses to this dimension where, like the young girl facing the moon, the shadow of your own dreams may appear in the sky.
Exhibition dates:
From May 14 to early July at MuPho la Galerie – Résidence Yara Rdc Impasse St John Perse – Corniche Ouest – Dakar Fann
From May 17 to November 30, 2025, at the Saint-Louis Museum of Photography – MuPho Les Comptoirs – Quai Henri Jay – Saint-Louis
