For its fifth edition, the Portrait(s) Festival in Vichy stands out, as ever, by the diversity of perspectives offered in its indoor and outdoor exhibitions. The program notably includes the first open-air retrospective of the work of Liu Bolin; a group exhibition of the French portrait agency Modd; the works of the American Stephen Shames and the Swede Christer Srömholm; the Frenchwoman Catherine Balet who is presenting a tribute to iconic portraits from the history of photography; as well as Pierre Gonnord and Claudia Imbert. In addition, carte blanche was extended to the Portuguese artist Sandra Rocha. Below, we feature an excerpt from the introduction by Fany Dupêchez, the artistic director of the festival.
Welcome to Vichy for the new edition of the festival, which unfolds between June 16 and September 10. Over the past five years, the festival has occupied the Centre Culturel Valéry-Larbaud, the city’s squares and parks for the span of a summer dedicated to photographic portrait.
Five years, that’s already an anniversary — a special moment for the Portrait(s) Festival and a high point for the event, that started in 2013, of an encounter between an artistic discipline and a commune in the Department of Allier. This anniversary is a landmark that has cemented the bonds of trust between the city and the artists, and has underscored the commitment of the teams who are the backbone of this event. Five years is also a source of pride at having, over the past four years, already featured the work of over fifty photographers. At a time when culture is struggling, this doubly great success has made this fifth edition possible and allowed the organizers to pursue their exploration of the protean territory of portraiture and their defense of creation.
Fany Dupêchez
Fany Dupêchez is the artistic director of the Festival Portrait(s)—Rendez-vous photographique de la Ville de Vichy.
The 5th Portrait(s) Festival
Rendez-vous photographique de la Ville de Vichy
June 16 to September 10, 2017
Various locations
