Is this a new utopia? Some distant reality? Neither one. The idea of a hermitage might seem paradoxical in our society, which champions the individual, but it is a growing and fascinating phenomenon. Modern hermitages have nothing to do with social or personal ambition. Most of them have a religious past—monks, priests, nuns—but many others come from the middle class. They were architects, doctors, lawyers, writers and teachers who decided they’d had enough of the routine. By continuing their personal developments through prayers, silence and meditation, they decided to live in isolation and listen to their own inner rhythms. These are portraits of a small part of our world, of remarkable individuals, solitary and peaceful.
Carlo Bevilacqua (b. 1961) is a documentary filmmaker and photographer based in Milan. His work on hermitages has been presented around the world by the Italian photography agency Parallelozero.
Carlo Bevilacqua : Into the Silence, Ermites du troisième millénaire
From December 4 – 29, 2012
The Opening on December 6th – 6pm – 10pm
Focus 5 – Galerie François Mansart
5, rue Payenne
75003 Paris
France
Tusday – Sunday 2pm – 7pm
