Since its inception in 2011, the Planches Contact Festival has supported artistic creation through a residency program. For its fifteenth edition, nine international photographers have set up their cameras in Deauville, receiving in exchange “keys of the city”. Encouraged to find new perspectives, they present original projects addressing social issues, the environment, identity, and memory.
Coco Amardeil, L’Abécédaire Normand
From “V for cow” to “C for camembert,” Coco Amardeil took on the Festival’s challenge to create a lighthearted Norman alphabet. This sunny and playful series enriches local culture for the children while bringing a smile to the adults.
Alessandro Calabrese, Ways of Looking
This year, Italian artist Alessandro Calabrese explores Deauville’s museum archives, using collage and digital manipulation to illustrate “the act of seeing” on Normandy’s racetracks. A creative exercise that provokes reflection.
Sara Imloul, La Mémoire de l’eau and Das Schloss
Inspired by the theory that water has memory, Sara Imloul’s series delves into themes of memory. Exhibited alongside her previous autobiographical work, her delicate yet powerful scenes leave a lasting impact—a staff favorite.
Julien Mignot, Temps Écran
French photographer Julien Mignot pays homage to film lovers, capturing the emotional range of cinema-goers during a movie. This project extends his previous work, Temps Présent, showcasing cinema’s power to evoke emotions.
Patricia Morosan, That Every Stone Is
Morosan turns her lens to the cliffs of Vaches Noires, a coastal geological site. Known for its rock formations shaped by wind, water, and time, the artist highlights these silent witnesses of history in poetic form.
Richard Pak, Le Voleur d’îles
Inspired by art historian Daniel Arasse, Pak photographs the Norman islands, cutting out the sea from the islands and vice versa, creating a dual perspective of sea without islands and islands without sea.
Bettina Pittaluga, In Bed with
Since 2012, Pittaluga has worked with the bed as a recurring frame. In Deauville, she explores personal intimacy by inviting herself into the private spaces of her subjects, creating an evocative setting that paradoxically transports viewers.
Phillip Toledano, We Are at War and Another America
Challenging the idea that AI cannot evoke emotion, Toledano used MidJourney to produce photographs resembling a Robert Capa WWII film roll. The result is deeply moving, with images of terrified soldiers provoking immense empathy—another favorite.
Huang Xiaoliang, Une fois la folie passée
Xiaoliang contrasts Deauville’s bustling tourist season with the solitude that follows, blending video, photography, and painting. The Chinese artist blurs figures and contours, evoking a contemplative state and exploring humanity’s complex relationship with the environment.
More Information:
Festival Planches Contact
Deauville, France
October 19, 2024 – January 5, 2025
