The French photographer Brassaï, born Gyula Halász in 1899, took his pseudonym from his birthplace—Brassó, Hungary. Brassaï is the man who comes to mind when we think of Paris between the wars. His misty, moody images in black and white came to define the era. Brassaï roamed the dark, wandering the neighborhoods of Montparnasse, shooting the night creatures—prostitutes, cleaners, drunken youths. He also navigated high society, attending ballet and opera with friends Braque, Matisse, Dalí, and Giacometti. This exhibition, Melbourne’s most comprehensive survey of Brassaï’s work, presents more than 150 vintage prints. —Elena Clavarino