Photography is about preserving memories.
And in my little journey through this world, that’s exactly what I do: I take pictures of my family, my travels and my daily life to preserve those memories and make sure they don’t fade out too quickly like tears in rain.
Well, it looks like with their latest project, Fujifilm is on the same mission: preserving memory… just on a much larger scale!
In fact, Fujifilm has teamed up with Magnum Photos and MPP (Heritage and Photography Library of Paris) for the project A World in Color, a historic project to digitize the agency’s Paris color library archive, which has remained dormant for decades.
Marine Merindol, Chief Operating Officer at Magnum Photos, writes:
Our commitment to preserving this unique photographic heritage ensures it remains an invaluable resource, honoring the past while inspiring future generations to learn from and build upon this vibrant visual history,
The Fujifilm GFX100 II will be used to digitize a selection of 650,000 color slides, dating from the 1950s to the early 2000s.
Fujifilm is an ideal partner for this project, not only because they have probably the best camera for the job, the medium format Fujifilm GFX100 II, but also because Fujifilm has a vast photographic history and understands the importance of preserving memory and art through photography.
And there is more.
Part of this project is also a series of FUJIKINA events that will take place in Czechia, Italy, Belgium, the UK, France, and Germany, showcasing live exhibitions and talks with Magnum photographers.
The first Fujikina events dedicated to this projects will be:
- Prague – March 22-23, 2025
- Milan – May 10–11, 2025
- Brussels – May 24-25, 2025
In 2026, the breadth of the project will expand, moving the focus to the United States.
Just a final word: I already told you that most Fujikina events are not connected to product launches. Well, that will be even more so in 2025, as there will be more Fujikina events than ever, but most of them will be dedicated to this project rather than to new product launches.
You can read more about this project at Magnumphotos here and here.