The Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia, will present “Ilse Bing Between Paris and New York,” an exhibition running from June 5 to October 18, 2026, featuring approximately 40 photographs by German Jewish artist Ilse Bing (1899–1998). The show traces Bing’s journey from expatriate in Paris to refugee in New York, highlighting her use of the Leica camera to capture modern urban life. It includes two newly acquired works—“Self-Portrait with Leica” (1931) and “Cancan, Moulin Rouge, Paris” (1931)—and places her work alongside contemporaries like André Kertész, Brassaï, and Man Ray. The exhibition is curated by Mia Laufer, the museum’s Irene Leache curator of European art, and marks her first show at the Chrysler.
This exhibition matters because it not only celebrates a pioneering female photographer but also connects her historical experience of displacement to contemporary conversations about migration and belonging. By reassessing and strengthening its holdings of Bing’s work, the Chrysler Museum underscores its commitment to expanding representation of women artists in its photography collection. The show offers visitors a chance to see how artists of the 1930s documented the energy of Paris and New York, while reflecting on enduring themes of identity and resilience.