Interview with Jean Noël de Soye and Hanane Hilmi – Galerie In Camera
Fanny Lambert: What’s the story behind the gallery? And what did you have in mind when you opened it?
J–N de Soye: When we opened the gallery five years ago, we already knew each other. Hanane had been representing my work as a photographer. Then the idea came to us: why not do the same for other photographers? But we needed a place to do it. The way we imagined it has little in common with what it has become today. Personally, I thought I would be working as both a photographer and a gallerist, but the latter quickly overtook the former. Hanane had a clearer idea of how much work it would be, having already worked in a gallery. We opened with a small catalogue of photographers, mostly friends, like Jane Evelyn Atwood and Gueorgui Pinkhassov. Then, little by little, the catalogue grew.
H. Hilmi: It was finding this place that led us to realize the project. We jumped at the opportunity.
F.L: How did you come up with the name?
J–N de Soye: Initially we had several names in mind, then a photographer friend, Derek Hudson, came up with “In Camera,” which is also the name of a book by Francis Bacon.
F.L: How many photographers do you represent? Can you give us an idea of their worth on the market?
H. Hilmi: We currently represent 16 photographers. Prices vary from 500 euros for 15x15cm works from Eri Makita to 12,000 euros for prints from the Robert Longo series Men in the Cities.
F.L: Many galleries today have become more like private offices that only receive clients by appointment. Have you considered that model? Do you still think it’s important to “hang out your shingle” as it were?
H. Hilmi: We thought about it when we opened the gallery. Wouldn’t it be easier to meet people in Jean Noël’s studio or an apartment? That would reduce costs, too. But in the end we’re delighted to have a storefront. People feel free to walk right in. I think it’s important to have an address. A gallery should be more than a showroom. We display the work we like, even if it isn’t always the most marketable.
J–N de Soye: And visibility is important for photographers. And we like to be able to think through an exhibition with them. We try to strike a balance between the two. That’s something we’re committed to. We take pleasure in seeing people come in and be moved by what they see.
F.L: Photography is everywhere these days. Is that a good thing for the discipline?
J–N de Soye: It’s a good thing in the sense that it’s gratifying to see photography reaching more and more people, whether it’s in a gallery, on the net or in a book. On the other hand, the number of photographers has grown considerably, and with digital it seems increasingly easy for anyone to take pictures. But the real difference for me is the one between the images we see everywhere (in the press, etc.) and the ones we see in galleries. Our focus, as a gallery, is prints. We select photographs to be displayed on a wall. That’s why there are some photographers we’ll never represent despite the quality of their work. They might have a place in a museum or in a book, but not necessarily here. We act as a filter, extracting the essence of what we love.
F.L: Who or what sells the best?
H. Hilmi: We sell a lot of the young artist Evgenia Arbugaeva, who we’re currently exhibiting at the gallery. But also a lot of Araki. In general, the hardest thing to sell is work by young artists. But we like to take risks. With Evgenia Arbugaeva, we didn’t know what to expect, but she was a hit at Paris Photo. That’s our policy: represent well-established photographers while helping young photographers make a name for themselves.
Currently:
Alexandra Catiere, Land Without Shadows
February 13 – April 5, 2014
Previously:
Evgenia Arbugaeva, Tiksi
December 12, 2013 – February 8, 2014
Galerie In Camera
21 rue Las Cases
75007 Paris
France
T: +33 (0)1 47 05 51 77
[email protected]
http://www.incamera.fr
Tuesday – Saturday, 14:00 – 19:00 or by appointment
