Brassage

Biographie

Born in 1964, Philippe Leroux taught himself about photography by shooting in studio. Later he founded the Aquatre collective. He won several prizes, including the FNAC/NIKON prize for his series “Ma tribu, Mon voisin, Mon monde”. He was Coup de Coeur at Azart Photo for his series “Réminiscence”, and Bourse du Talent Reportage for “Les mains bleues”. Presented twice at Les Boutographies, in 2009 and 2011, he has taken part in several other festivals such as Manifesto (Toulouse), Itinéraires des Photographes Voyageurs (Bordeaux) and the Festival International du Film Documentaire (Nyons).

Présentation

They arrived by the sea. Slimane, Artak, Alain, Hayarpi, Hasmik walk on water. Their silhouettes stand out against the azure horizon. Their faces are serious. A far away look in their eyes. Fatigue counts for little against their determination. Before, they crossed mountains, traversed cities, abandoned parents and friends, left the family home. Leave in order to work, pay to find refuge, pay to avoid dying; go into exile to escape ostracism, war, misery. Leave to save the children. They dreamed of asylum, they are still dreaming of it. Who can give up the dream of asylum?
And afterwards? Shadows. How can you build a home when everything leads you towards a state of invisibility, of un-detectability; when everything obliges you to melt into the exploited and indistinct mass of exiles, the asylum seekers, the refugees? The singularities, the multiplicity of histories matter little since, finally, they are all baptised with a new name: Migrants. That is their new semblance. That is the new moral doctrine: conform or disappear from the sight of others. That is their outlook.
But here is what we can also read in this panorama: the sculpting of footprints and itineraries, the material of time immemorial; treads solidified in the grey clay, waste heaps of feet and soles which frolic and intermingle with the prints of the grey heron, kingfisher and teal; fluttering of birds, little dances on the sea, a dress in the water, a young girl dancing, shells in her hands, faces in the sand, the tears of a jellyfish: brassage (fusion?)