The series Les Exilés follows the work Les Dépossédés carried out in the Uyghur autonomous region in China (East Turkestan) by Edith Roux which gave rise to the eponymous book in 2013. This new work brings together images of the Uyghur diaspora taken in different cities, Paris, Munich, The Hague, Istanbul…
Faced with the scale of the Uyghur tragedy and the difficulty of photographing in the region, the artist wanted to continue to bear witness to the situation by getting closer to the diaspora. Uyghurs, even residing outside their country, are under close surveillance by the Chinese authorities who threaten to send their family members remaining there to camps if they show the slightest protest against the system of government.
In her work, Edith Roux took into account the desire of certain Uyghurs not to reveal their faces by creating a visual form that makes us aware of this ongoing genocide. To protect their identity, their faces are replaced by a blurred specular surface, in which viewers can partially reflect themselves. Is the shared space of the mirror, animated by the different reflections of visitors to the exhibition, the expression of the common part of humanity that connects us?
Edith Roux : Les Exilés
From December 16 to March 2, 2024
Le Bleu du Ciel
12, rue des Fantasques
69001 Lyon
+33 (0)4 72 07 84 31
www.lebleuduciel.net
