Gypsy, Romany, Manouche… Traveling between Arles and Les Saintes Maries de la Mer, the photographer Vanessa Gilles came into contact with women of diverse origins. These women reveal themselves in her images and gaze at us with dignity. Fixed in black and white, the photographs seem to deliver a timeless message that extols pride and attachment to one’s roots. Children are playing in front of the camera seemingly carefree, while women eye it with a stare that says a lot about the years of discrimination which is still omnipresent.
Vanessa Gilles’ desire to ensure justice is done was inspired by her encounter with Esméralda Romanez. That sixty-nine-year-old Manouche woman, president of the “European Federation of Romany and Traveler Women,” confided in Gilles the harrowing story of her aunt Marie who was deported to concentration camps during the Second World War. Her words, stirred by the pain of the ordeals, are a voice of authenticity and resonate as a duty of memory toward these men and women, boys and girls whose stories and past should not be silenced. The exhibition at the Anne Clergue Gallery in Arles invites us to discover a portion of the series Dosta, which combines rough faces, abstract visions, and scenes from daily life.
Vanessa Gilles, Dosta: paroles et mémoires de femmes tsiganes / Dosta: The words and memories of Gypsy women
September 9 to October 14, 2017
Anne Clergue Galerie
12 Plan de la Cour
13200 Arles
France
