Join photographer Peter van Agtmael for a presentation of Look at the USA: America’s Wars at Home and Abroad, 2006–2026, a striking visual chronicle tracing the political, social, and historical fault lines of the United States in the wake of 9/11 to the present day. Through a lecture accompanied by a selection of photographs, he brings into focus the human and national realities shaped by two decades of war.

About the speaker:

Peter van Agtmael is an American documentary photographer and member of Magnum Photos whose work explores the human, political, and psychological consequences of power, war, and national identity, particularly in the United States. He is known for his long-term coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and their reverberations at home. His photographs blend conflict, spectacle, and intimate moments to challenge American mythologies, marked by emotional complexity, irony, and moral ambiguity. His work has received many awards recognition, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and World Press Photo awards, and is widely exhibited and published worldwide.

Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.

Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.