Sacha Goldberger : Eroticism and Alternate Reality
In the depths of a unique photographic universe, Sacha Goldberger invites us to explore the intricacies of “Secret Eden”, a series where eroticism unfolds in all its complexity, at the crossroads of mystery and sensuality.
This masterful work, the result of three years of meticulous creation, pushes the boundaries of the visible to open the door to the imagination, a place where each viewer is invited to write their own story, guided by images that whisper more than they say.
“When I started this series, I had just finished working on projects with my grandmother and my series on the Lubavitch, which I loved doing, but which were ultimately very restrained and represented only a part of me. Eroticism is also very important to me. One thing was clear: I had never seen an erotic series that wasn’t vulgar and that embodied what I imagined eroticism to be. It became evident to me that eroticism and imagination are closely linked. I had to find a way to show things without showing them, and to create works that speak of eroticism without being shocking, that could also be viewed by children…” explains Sacha Goldberger.
Far from the beaten path, “Secret Eden” is part of an artistic approach where eroticism is treated not as an explicit end but as a subtle exploration of what is unsaid, of the shadows and lights that caress the contours of the soul. To achieve this result, Sacha Goldberger drew on artistic, historical, and mythological references to create a series of 17 diptychs and portraits where each element, each detail, resonates with narrative depth.
His approach is dreamlike, evoking an alternate reality where the senses are awakened, ready to capture the slightest nuances of a story that unfolds between the images. The process is bold: the same location is photographed at different times of the day, creating a play of superimpositions where time seems to dissolve. Through this technique, the photographer offers a new form of visual storytelling where two images, though seemingly distinct, respond to each other, complement each other, and eventually reveal a third reality born from their union. It is in this interstitial space, between what is said and what is not, that the evocative power of this work resides.
The locations chosen for this series are no coincidence. Each one—from the Château de Thoiry to the headquarters of the French Communist Party designed by Oscar Niemeyer, among other historically rich sites—becomes the stage for scenes imbued with great symbolic richness. He thus summons the collective imagination while blurring the lines, offering the viewer a journey through the ages, where each era reveals its own vision of eroticism.
Seventeen diptychs reveal 17 different universes and invite a journey through time. The aesthetics of the 1930s to 1950s permeate certain compositions, recalling a time when glamour and elegance were at their peak. However, far from limiting himself to mere stylistic reproduction, Sacha Goldberger infuses each image with a subtle modernity. The period costumes, accessories, and even the trained animals that populate these scenes are not mere decorative elements; they actively contribute to constructing an atmosphere charged with tension, anticipation, and barely whispered desires.
The portraits that accompany these diptychs play a crucial role in crafting this atmosphere. Each face, each expression, each gaze is a doorway into the inner world of the characters, offering the viewer valuable clues to interpret the scenes unfolding before their eyes.
Here, silence is golden, and the stories one intuits between the lines are those carried within oneself. The photographer, a master of suggestion, deliberately leaves areas of shadow, empty spaces that each person is free to fill with their fantasies, memories, and dreams.
The decision to never explicitly show eroticism, to suggest rather than expose, is a strong stance that enhances the timeless and universal character of the work, inviting the viewer on an inner journey where eroticism reveals itself in all its complexity.
Far from being puritanical, this approach is a celebration of imagination, of the power to create worlds from fragments, to let stories weave through the mind’s labyrinths, far from obviousness.
Beyond the exploration of eroticism, “Secret Eden” questions our relationship with time, memory, and the way we construct our personal narratives. Each diptych, each scene, is an invitation to reflect on the duality of the visible and the invisible, on what is shown and what is hidden. It is a play of mirrors where reflections are deceptive, where each image hides another, just as true and just as powerful.
In the end, Sacha Goldberger does not just create images; he creates worlds, parallel universes where every detail, every color, every shadow is a thread leading to a poetic and sensual elsewhere. This series, much more than a simple stylistic exercise, is a work where the visible and the invisible merge, and where the viewer becomes an actor, a co-creator of their own secret and unexplored Eden.
Carole Schmitz
Website: sachagoldberger.com
Instagram: sachagoldberger
