The Fait & Cause Gallery presents the exhibition of the 2 winners of the 10th edition of the SOPHOT competition:
– Le monde selon Down, 30 photographs by Bénédicte Thomas, nurse by training and stay-at-home mother, who presents a series on Down’s syndrome.
These works have never been shown before.
Two young girls discuss the benefits of conditioner in the shower at an aquatic center. This mundane conversation takes on a special dimension on this Special Olympics day. Witness to this conversation, I realize the normality even before seeing the difference. My perception of disability is turned upside down.
These two young girls with Down’s syndrome have quite an amazing capacity for independence. The image Pascal Duquenne returns in Jaco Van Dormael’s The Eighth Day remains unreal or exceptional for most of us. But what is the concrete situation today? Around 100 children affected by Down syndrome are born each year in Belgium. Do they become fulfilled and happy adults? What place does society give them?
These questions invite me to meet them …
To be autonomous … a dream, a fight, a quest, a pride …
Day after day, by dint of determination and courage, adults with Down’s syndrome gain more confidence and overcome difficulties one after the other, tirelessly. Guided by those around them from an early age, they gradually develop their skills, adapt to their disability, accept their differences and flourish.
“The World According to Down” presents daily life moments of these people with remarkable human qualities. A committed and humanist report for a more inclusive society.
Biography
A nurse by training and housewife, Bénédicte Thomas has always been passionate about photography. It will be in the years 2005-2006 that her photographic approach evolved from the boxing of beautiful family images to the passionate, daily quest, which continues today … Two years at the Arts et Métiers de Mons brought her technique, essential baggage, while a course in the history of photography opened up new horizons.
As the human relationship turns out to be inseparable from her photographic approach, the reports are linked. A confirmed choice. Now focused on humanist reporting, her photographs bear witness to moments in the life of people around her.
Exhibition visits, a constant interest in author’s books and the sharing of experiences between photographers are her main sources of inspiration. President of the Royal Photo-Club Montois and member of the De Vizu collective, Bénédicte Thomas continues her own photography while managing, with a team, workshops and projects.
Bénédicte Thomas : Le Monde Selon Down
Exhibition until Saturday July 10 and resume on September 8 until Saturday October 2, 2021
Galerie FAIT & CAUSE
58 rue Quincampoix
75004 Paris, France
