For 15 days, follow the daily life and travels of Benoît Baume, the founder of Fisheye in China discovering the photography of the Middle Kingdom. Discover, through this third episode, the exhibitions from Arles.
The Jimei Arles Festival offers eight exhibitions taken from the Rencontres d’Arles 2017, such as the one which focused on Iran. When first seen in the church Sainte-Anne, I wasn’t able to appreciate it’s true value, while copious amounts of photos and authors were crowded in a space usually used for one photographer than collective shows. Here, in Jimei, I liked Iran, year 38, in an aired out scenography, revealing it’s full effect.
In the evening, I had the chance to spend time with Mathieu Pernot who presented once again his exhibition Les Gorgan, 1995-2015, his work surrounding a Roma family that received such praise last summer. In his photography man is at his peak: simple, bright and hard-hitting.
In the Discovery prize, chosen with the curators, we remark Siu Wai Hang that offers astonishing photographic installations like automatic flipboards that show exterior views of military camps near Hong Kong while long rolls of film are stretched out and cut, enhancing it’s movement.
To also take note of is Guo Yingguang that takes the Figaro Madame prize for his work on mothers in Shanghai. The latter, find themselves in a park offering their sons for marriage by stating their height, age, studies, profession, salaries, apartment, car, and other signs of wealth.
Without forgetting, last but not least, Feng Li, winner of the Discovery prize that will be exhibited at Arles in 2018. Suggested by the inevitable Thomas Sauvin, the photographer from Chengdu developed a sort of photographic chase with his flash, often at night, in the series White Night. He discovers the extraordinary in the ordinary and reveals a gallery of personalities – between those immortalized by Diane Arbus and the heroes of Stranger Things– blurring all traces of reality.
Guo Yingguang’s work that won the Figaro Madame prize for her work on mothers in Shanghai that are arranging their sons marriage by stating their height, age, studies, profession, salaries, apartment, car, and other signs of wealth. Her work is going to be exhibited at Arles in 2018 © Fisheye
One of the artworks Les Gorgan, 1995-2015 from Mathieu Pernot. The exhibition is still as powerful although the Maison des peintres at Arles was able to showcase it better © Fisheye
Feng Li, discovered at Jimei Arles Festival, suggested by Thomas Chauvin. He also created a series in Paris briefly shown at the Oberkampf gallery last November © Fisheye
Series Public Place of Morteza Niknahad & Behnam Zakeri that shows imaginary situations in the public life of Iraniens. The exhibition Iran, année 38 benefits here of a scenography far more pleasant than at Arles ©
Cover photo : Public Space, 2015 © Morteza Niknahad & Behnam Zakeri
Translated by Molly Sisson
