Among the many photography festivals that have flourished these past years, Planche(s) Contact stands out in that you won’t find any recycled images or images exhibited elsewhere, and for a reason: the mayor of Deauville, Philippe Augier, who has initiated numerous cultural initiatives, wanted from the outset to offer a photographic encounter between the photographers and his city.
L’Oeil de la Photographie : In 2010, under your leadership, the city of Deauville launched the festival Planche(s) Contact. How do you assess this event five years later?
Philippe Augier : Planche(s) Contact is the only photography festival in France that is based on public commissions and thus represents artistic production specific to Deauville. This new concept is behind the festival’s rapid growth: photographers have been seduced by the creative exhibition space, while photography enthusiasts enjoy discovering fresh works of art in Deauville. The second point of pride: the city now possesses a vast photographic collection which will be made available to the public once the Franciscaines, our new cultural center, has opened its doors. Photography is going to become one of its permanent artistic features. Finally, a third point of pride is the eager participation of local photographers in Off de Planche(s) Contact which, in 2015, brings together some fifteen exhibits.
ODLP : What is your favorite among the five editions? Which artist surprised you the most in his or her rendition of the city?
PA : Filip Dujardin’s way of looking at Deauville architecture was quite astonishing, with the surrealistic visions of houses, their half-timbered façades, the rooftops … uncanny juxtapositions where one tries in vain to figure out what’s wrong with this picture…! I was also taken by the entry of the nude into the Festival, thanks to the master of the nude, Kishin Shinoyama; by Garry Gruyaert’s explosions of color; and by the frozen look of Kourtney Roy’s photos.
ODLP : What is the reaction of your constituency to the way their city is being portrayed by artists? How do you rally them around the festival?
PA : The photographers and students carry out their work in collaboration with the residents who welcome them into their city with open arms much more than we could have imagined. Some involved them in their passions, others offered guidance. Many have posed for photos. And everybody, on J day, comes to see how artists from around the world picture their life and memories.
Many residents also offer their own vision of Deauville at the competition of the 25th hour which takes place on the opening night. Like the festival, this competition is centered on the individual imagination, since the idea is to present one’s vision of an hour that exists only once a year, at the moment when daylight saving time ends in the passage to winter.
FESTIVAL
Planche(s) Contact
From October 17th to November 29th, 2015
Ville de Deauville
France
http://www.deauville-photo.fr
