Born in 1984, Claire Adelfang resides and works in Paris. She received her training at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris, graduating in 2010. Subsequently, she became represented by the Thaddaeus Ropac gallery, hosting several exhibitions in Paris and Salzburg.
Using an analog camera and favoring the square format for its graphic and sculptural exploration, Claire Adelfang delves into the natural environment altered by humans and the indirect traces of their presence. This leads to a silent and contemplative dialogue between humanity and its history.
Her photographic practice primarily focuses on abandoned or evolving architectures, particularly industrial or military remnants, and iconic yet often inaccessible public spaces. In doing so, she seeks a timeless vision, a suspension of time that implies the notion of permanence, bridging the past and the future while emphasizing the unreal nature of these environments.
Claire Adelfang's photographs and videos gained public attention through exhibitions organized by Les amis des Beaux-Arts de Paris in 2010 and 2011, following the awards she received (Agnès b Prize in 2009 and Thaddaeus Ropac Prize in 2010).
Her work has been showcased in various institutions, including the Institut Culturel Bernard Magrez in Bordeaux, the Palais de Tokyo, the Musée des Beaux-Arts d’Orléans, which dedicated its first museum solo exhibition to her in 2016, the Mac Val, the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, the Opéra Comique, and the Opéra de Tours. From May to September 2018, Adelfang held a solo exhibition at the Château de Versailles in the Petit Trianon with her series on the Hameau de la Reine.
Nominated for honors such as the Meurice Prize 2013, MasterCard Prize 2013, and BMW Art Makers Prize in 2021, her video "Les Forges" was featured in Nuit Blanche 2013 in Paris as an installation at the Oratoire du Louvre.
Claire Adelfang's works are part of the collections of the Institut Culturel Bernard Magrez, Château de Versailles, Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Musée d‘Art Contemporain du Val de Marne, Musée des Beaux-Arts d’Orléans, JP Morgan, and Blackstone London. In 2017, she received a commission for several photographs for the Hôtel de Crillon, which are displayed in the hotel's suites and private lounges.
Since 2015, Claire Adelfang has had a partnership with the Opéra national de Paris for a photographic project. From spring 2023 until June 2024, she will be an artist in residence at the Opéra de Tours. Around June 2023, in collaboration with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, Adelfang will initiate a photographic commission for the Château de Villers-Cotterêts, the future International City of the French Language.