JOHANNA BENAINOUS
Visual artist, photographer, filmmaker

☞ Version française


SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2025
The Other Me, MAC VAL, Vitry-sur-Seine (FR)
GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2026
Moteur Imaginaire, Large, curated by Cecilia Alemani, Île Seguin, Boulogne-Billancourt (FR)
PUBLIC AND INSTITUTIONAL COMMISSIONS

2023–2027
La Grande Échappée, art commission from the Société des grands projets, future Bry-Villiers-Champigny station, Grand Paris Express, Elsa & Johanna in tandem with architect Thomas Richez (FR), ongoing

2026
Phenomenologia, carte blanche commission from Large Emerige for the inaugural exhibition of Large, Île Seguin (FR)

2025
The Other Me, carte blanche commission from MAC VAL for the exhibition 100% EAC et le Genre Idéal, Vitry-sur-Seine (FR)


COLLECTIONS

2026
Frac Île-de-France, The Other Me
FILMS

2026
The Beginning, musical short film directed for Aure, produced by Partizan, with the support of the CNC (FR)

☞ Films and videos by Elsa & Johanna


WORKSHOPS AND MASTERCLASSES

2025
Workshop “Identity in photography”, MAC VAL, with secondary school students, four months, Vitry-sur-Seine (FR)
Masterclass, Centre Photographique Marseille, two days, Marseille (FR)
Workshop, Pyrénées primary school, Paris (FR)

2022
Workshop, Grange aux Belles secondary school, Paris (FR)
JURIES

2026
Jury member, Prix Nation Photo

2021
Jury member, Âne d’Or (Golden Donkey) for Documentary Film, FILAF, Perpignan (FR)
EDUCATION

2010–2015
Graduated with highest honours,
École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris (FR)

2014
School of Visual Arts, New York (US)





ELSA & JOHANNA
Artist duo co-founded in 2014 with Elsa Parra


SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2026
The Timeless Story of Moormerland, Images Vevey, Vevey (CH)
Séquences, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Paris (FR)

2025
Les Douze Heures du jour et de la nuit, Château d’Haroué (FR)
Lost & Found, Centre Photographique Marseille, Marseille (FR)
A Cabin With a View, Un Été au Havre, Le Havre (FR)
Beyond the Shadows, Institut français de Tokyo, Tokyo (JP)

2024
Séquences, Moulin Blanchard, Perche-en-Nocé (FR)
A Couple of Them, bus shelters on the boulevards of Bordeaux, off-site (FR)
Climbing into Another Skin, Mai Mano House, Budapest (HU)
Chronicles of the Ordinary, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Brussels (BE)

2023
The Blurring Days, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Paris (FR)
Beyond the Shadows, T3 Tokyo Festival, Tokyo (JP)
Samples, Moulin Blanchard, Le Champ des Impossibles, Perche-en-Nocé (FR)
A Couple of Them, Pont Saint-Ange, Paris Collections, Paris (FR)
Palace Odyssée, Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau metro station, Paris (FR)

2022
Les Douze Heures du jour et de la nuit, Maison d’Auguste Comte, Paris (FR)
The Timeless Story of Moormerland, Studio de la MEP, Paris (FR)
The Plural Life of Identity, Städtische Galerie Karlsruhe (DE)

2021
Palace Odyssée, Les Étincelles du Palais de la Découverte, Paris (FR)
Find the Truth, Paris Photo, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Grand Palais, Paris (FR)
Palace Odyssée, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Paris (FR)
Festival Air de Fête, Saint-Briac-sur-Mer (FR)

2020
Silver Springs, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Brussels (BE)

2019
A Couple of Them, Paris Photo, Curiosa sector, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Grand Palais, Paris (FR)
Rosarium, C’est le soleil qui finira par nous perdre, curated by Ann Stouvenel, Mains d’Œuvres, Saint-Ouen (FR)

2018
A Cross Perspective, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Festival Photo Saint-Germain, Paris (FR)

2017
Le Reflet de la cuillère, Espace des femmes, Festival Photo Saint-Germain, Paris (FR)
Los Ojos Vendados, Etro boutique, Saint-Germain, Paris (FR)

2015
A Couple of Them, Beaux-Arts de Paris, Paris (FR)
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (selection)

2026
Translations, with Arsenia Sirente, SEE Galerie, Paris (FR)
ELLES, L’Expo Plein Air, Châteaulin (FR)

2024
Beyond the Shadows, 17th Lyon Biennale, MAC Lyon (FR)
1974, Passé, présent, futur, Villa Benkemoun, Arles (FR)
Le Sport à l’épreuve, Les Rencontres d’Arles, Arles (FR)
A Couple of Them, Parcours Art et Patrimoine en Perche, Perche-en-Nocé (FR)

2023
Official artistic posters of the Paris 2024 Games, Quai de la Mégisserie, Paris (FR)
Expo Chicago, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Chicago (US)
Art Brussels, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Brussels (BE)

2022
Entre les mondes, Palacete Santo Estêvão, Alfama, Lisbon (PT)

2021
A Couple of Them, Hyperfestival, place Baudoyer, Hôtel de Ville, Paris (FR)
Je te laisse les clefs, H Gallery, Paris (FR)
Beyond the Shadows, Art Paris, Grand Palais, Paris (FR)
Collection Société Générale, Paris (FR)
Prix Balzac 2021, Maison de Balzac, Paris (FR)

2020
Per Se, Festival Photo Saint-Germain, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Paris (FR)
Find the Truth, Jimei × Arles, Jimei Photo Festival, Xiamen (CN)
Staging Identity, curated by Stefanie Patruno, Institut Mathildenhöhe, Darmstadt (DE)
Not So Crazy Girls, curated by Naomie Rubins, Espace Futur, Paris (FR)
Heartland, Art Paris, invited by Gaël Charbau, Grand Palais, Paris (FR)
Ensemble, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Brussels (BE)

2019
Some of Us, curated by Jérôme Cotinet-Alphaize, Carlshütte, Büdelsdorf (DE)
34th Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography, Villa Noailles, Hyères (FR)
Art Paris, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Grand Palais, Paris (FR)
Lignes de vies, une exposition de légendes, curated by Frank Lamy, MAC VAL, Vitry-sur-Seine (FR)
100 % L’Expo, Sorties d’écoles, Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris (FR)

2018
FIAC, FMAC booth, Grand Palais, Paris (FR)
Prix Picto de la mode, Palais Galliera, Paris (FR)
Les Apparences, La Graineterie, Houilles (FR)
Profils, Pavillon Blanc, Colomiers (FR)

2017
Kaléidoscope, curated by Jean de Malherbe, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Brussels (BE)
Jeune Création 67, Paris (FR)
Proyecta, Imaginando otros posibles, curated by Sandra Maunac, Madrid (ES)
Festival Circulation(s) #7, Le Centquatre, Paris (FR)

2016
Une inconnue d’avance, curated by Gaël Charbau, Villa Emerige, Paris (FR)
Felicità, curated by Alexia Fabre, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Paris (FR)
61st Salon de Montrouge, Beffroi de Montrouge (FR)
AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS

2024
Winners, official artistic posters of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games

2021
Nominated, Prix Balzac
Carte blanche “Lady Dior as seen by”

2020
Winners, Prix Collection Société Générale × Beaux-Arts de Paris
Finalists, Louis Roederer Discovery Award, Les Rencontres d’Arles
Carte blanche, Palais de la découverte
Bronze Cube, ADC Awards, The One Club, New York, for Coup de Bol

2019
Public Prize, 34th Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography
Finalists, Voice of a Woman Awards, New York, for Coup de Bol

2017
Second prize, Prix Picto de la mode

2016
Finalists, HSBC Prize for Photography
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

Centre national des arts plastiques (Cnap)
Contemporary Art Fund, Paris Collections
Städtische Galerie Karlsruhe (DE)
Palais Galliera, photography collection
Villa Noailles, photography collection
Seine-Saint-Denis departmental contemporary art collection
Société Générale Collection
Crédit Agricole Collection
Picto Foundation
Dior Lady Art


MONOGRAPHS

2028
Fictions, Elsa & Johanna, Delpire & Co (forthcoming)

2025
Séquences, Elsa & Johanna, Filigranes Éditions

2022
Ce que vaut une femme, Les Douze Heures du jour et de la nuit, The Eyes Publishing

2021
Percevoir, Éditions de La Martinière

2020
Beyond the Shadows, Éditions H2L2
Projects
Now