Olivier Culmann The Others

Olivier Culmann
The Others
October 17 th 2015 ...
January 17 th 2016
Opening
Friday October 16 th / 7 pm
Erwin Blumenfeld
de Vogue US, 1er janvier 1951
© The Estate of Erwin Blumenfeld, collection
This exhibition was co-produced
with Tendance Floue
and Central DUPON Images.
With support from Canson,
Olympus France,
Ministère de la Culture
/ Drac Bourgogne,
Société des Amis
du musée Nicéphore Niépce,
La Souris sur le gâteau
and the Hôtel St Georges
in Chalon-sur-Saône.
Olivier Culmann
The Others
All of the photographs
Olivier Culmann presents us
The Others is an examination of the codes
for this exhibition were printed
with a strange portrait gallery.
of Indian society and their modes
The Indian man appears in many forms
of representation. The photographer’s
before our eyes without ever revealing
basic material is a series of self-portraits.
his true identity…
In each one, Olivier Culmann applies
A tie-in book is available
Olivier Culmann began to shoot
the visual and sartorial specifics
from Editions Xavier Barral.
this series between 2009 and 2011,
that define each Indian to himself.
when he was living in Delhi, and kept
In a society as compartmentalised as
in his exhibition
shooting up until 2013. The Others
India’s, he means to highlight the variety
Saturday October 17 / 3:30 pm
will be presented in full for the first
of elements that make up the identity
time at the Musée Nicéphore Niépce.
of an individual: religion, caste, class,
In a series that includes over
profession, geographical origin…
on Canson gloss 310 g premium paper
in the laboratory
at the Musée Nicéphore Niépce.
Meeting with Olivier Culmann
130 photographs, the photographer
questions the way in which social
The portraits are split in four phases,
status is elaborated through
according to the different iconographic
the construction of self-image
creative processes in India: neighbourhood
and explores the limits of the photo-
photography studios, Photoshop used
graphic medium.
by digital labs, painting…
[ See the descriptions of the photo series
in the attached file ]
Olivier Culmann
The Others
Éditions Xavier Barral
Bound and covered
21.5 x 26.3 cm
196 pages
Approx. 140 colour photographs
Texts :
Christopher Pinney,
lecturer in anthropology and visual
culture at London’s University College,
François Cheval,
Director of the Musée Nicéphore Niépce
and Christian Caujolle,
Associate Lecturer at the École
Nationale Supérieure Louis Lumière,
critic, independent curator.
Olivier Culmann
The Others
Extracts:
Clothing oneself is no longer a functional
necessity for humans, and has not been
since time immemorial. The act of clothing
oneself has transmuted into a game
ruled by social convention. Appearance
decides, even configures the real.
The fictional lives that follow one another
in the New Delhi studio are no more
illusory than the “real” pseudo-images
that come before. Faced with these
decorated scenes, the only
“incontestable”’ objects, we rediscover
the consistency of likelihood. By playing
with pretending, the photographer
exhumes the weight of destiny that covers
us. The shapes, colours and textures
are all signals we address to our peers;
the ones we want to stand out from!
Faced with the inevitable, we put
on the rags and adopt the attitude that
others have determined for us.
Each photograph, or more to the point,
each scene, is an event that is both
derisory and perfectly apt. The portraits
compose a collection of short stories.
They do not pretend to reduce the different
components of the Indian population
to farce, but merely to reflect the spirit
of the times. In the harsh light
of the studio, these reconstituted lives
rise above a reality that is never
recognisable and is always unintelligible.
In the knowledge that we are aware
of the state of the world, rather than
giving us the same photographic
narrative on the Indian sub-continent,
Olivier Culmann gives us his fugitive
singularity and autonomy. The particular
impressions. Freed from the weight
attention given to one’s appearance
of the past, his portrait-prototypes are
is aided and abetted by technology.
notations, better, as narratives.
Digital identity is built in communication
The various elements of the image are
spaces where individuals contemplate
clues to interpret and to bring
themselves in a narcissistic manner
the spectator closer to others in the hopes
from a closed-off space. The connection
that they will end up with a fabric
to others remains a never to be satisfied
of hypotheses at their disposal.
quest. And photography, despite its
The apparently unrelated objects,
immense ambition, can’t do a thing
the poses and situations form a logical
about it.
chain to be reconstituted.
[…]
[…]
What we present to others is an ideal
of the fantasised figure, the seal
of identity. However, here, identification
is inseparable from dissimulation.
The figure’s make-up and poses redefine
the character’s visibility levels.
The subject, or the person, is in no way
a “natural” being. In this constant swing
from the norm and the search for one’s
own identity, the person attempts
to constitute him or herself into a coherent
unity. This demand for originality pushes
them to contemplate their own reflection.
The mirror becomes his digital print.
They search ceaselessly for faults,
as if trying to spot the deliberate mistake.
Anxiety reigns in this surreal world.
One hunts down the imperfections
that go against the self-image they desire
so deeply. This concern for appearances,
deliberately encouraged by merchandise,
is at odds with self-awareness,
François Cheval
Olivier Culmann /
biography
Social conditioning and free will are
2008
intrinsic to Olivier Culmann’s work.
The “Les Mondes de l’école” series
Located somewhere between the absurd
is shown at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
and the derisory, his work puts
3 rd World Press Photo prize
the question of our everyday lives
for his “Watching TV” series
and our relationship with images under
( “contemporary subjects” category )
a microscope. He always comes back
to his obsessions – and ours –, winning
2011
us over with his sense of humour
Watching TV, published
and his talent for narrative.
by Éditions Textuel
“Watchers” show at the Pavillon Carré
de Baudouin in Paris
1993 – 1999
In collaboration with Mat Jacob,
2014
his Les Mondes de l’école project was
The Others and Diversions series
awarded the Villa Médicis Hors Les Murs
shown at the Festival Images in Vevey,
in 1997
Switzerland
2001
2015
Les Mondes de l’école, published
The Others series is shown
by Éditions Marval
at the Musée Nicéphore Niépce
Une vie de poulet, published
in Chalon-sur-Saône
by editions Filigranes
The Others, published
by Editions Xavier Barral
2003
Scam Roger Pic award for “Autour,
New York 2001– 2002” series
2004
Intouchables, published
by Editions Atlantica
2006
His “Watching TV” series was presented
at the Rencontres internationales
de la photographie d’Arles
All reproductions
must state :
© Olivier Culmann / Tendance Floue
Available visuals /
Phase 1 :
portraits taken in a photography studio The studios represented in these shots
are neighbourhood studios in different
Indian cities, notably in Delhi
and the surrounding regions, Chennai,
Pondicherry and Mumbai.
Phase 2 :
portraits using digital equipment
In the neighbourhood studios, a range
of backdrops is often available:
a patterned curtain, a photographic mural
or a landscape painted on the wall itself.
When a client comes to have
his or her photograph taken, they can
also borrow various items of clothing
( jackets, shirts, ties…) for the duration
of the shoot. With the advent of digital
technology, backdrops are easily
created on the computer. The client,
whose silhouette is cut out in advance,
can thus choose the backdrop
( reconstituted studio backdrop, Swiss
mountain scape, Taj Mahal…) in front
of which he or she wishes to be pictured.
Photographers also offer the option
of the already well-dressed
and well-presented headless body, on
to which the client’s head can be attached
and slid into place by the retoucher/
photographer. Faceless bodies are also
available (hair and ears are part
of the package), as are various types
of headgear (hats, berets, turbans…),
hairstyles, various accessories
(armchairs, couches, bouquets
of flowers…) and frames with motifs.
The phase 2 portraits blend this digital
material with the faces on the initial
portraits.
Phase 3 :
recomposing and colouring
damaged photographs Repairing family photographs that have
been damaged (by time, damp, ripping…)
is common practice in India.
It is often done when someone dies
to restore an emblematic photograph
of the deceased. The photo is usually
seen on the wall at home or in the family
business. It is a guarantee of filiation
and its symbolic meaning seems more
important than the actual faithful
reproduction of the ancestor’s physical
traits. In line with this practice,
Olivier Culmann gave various digital
retouching labs half a torn photo.
He then asked them to reconstitute
the face entirely and to colour the photo
as they saw fit. Some added backdrops.
Phase 4 :
paintings from photographs
Painting on photographs is common
in India, especially for shop signs
and more traditionally for film posters.
Using this skill set as a base,
Olivier Culmann gave a Delhi painter
a number of black and white photographs
and asked him to paint them in different
styles (mostly from film poster types).
Just like with the repair work, he let
the painter choose the backdrops
and the colours. The original paintings
will be on show in the exhibition.
Partners /
Tendance Floue
Central Dupon Images
Tendance Floue is a collective
Central DUPON Images is a Paris-based
of 13 photographers that was founded
photography workshop that provides
in 1991 in order to explore the world
a wide range of image-related services,
and work together to open up new
from high-def. retouching to traditional
perspectives and diversify modes
prints, from digital printing to framing.
of representation for contemporary
Central DUPON Images partners some
photography. In addition to their personal
of the biggest photographic cultural
work, the photographers also aim
events and festivals around the world
to support collective photographic
and actively supports the encouragement
research: confronting images,
and promotion of photographic art.
assemblies, combinations, pooled work
www.centraldupon.com
to create new material. Press, publishing,
exhibitions, screenings… the collective
opens all doors, using all of contemporary
photography’s outlets, nothing is out
of bounds.
www.tendancefloue.net
Musée Nicéphore Niépce
Access
28 quai des messageries
By the A6,
71100 Chalon-sur-Saône
+33 [ 0 ] 3 85 48 41 98
exit 25 Chalon Nord
+33 [ 0 ] 3 85 48 63 20 / fax
SNCF train station in Chalon
contact @ museeniepce.com
Close to the TGV station
www.museeniepce.com
Le Creusot-Montchanin
[ 20 min. from Chalon by car ]
Press
Lyon-Saint-Exupéry Airport
[ an hour from Chalon by car ]
Emmanuelle Vieillard
communication.niepce @ chalonsursaone.fr
Catherine Philippot and Prune Philippot
Relations Media
248 boulevard Raspail 75014 Paris
+33 [ 0 ] 1 40 47 63 42
cathphilippot @ relations-media.com
prunephilippot @ relations-media.com
Open
every day
except Tuesdays and holidays,
9.30 ... 11.45 am
and 2.00 ... 5.45 pm
Free entrance
We would like to thank :
Friends of the Nicéphore
Niépce museum
– Our patrons
BMW France
Maison Veuve Ambal
Olympus France
Epson France
Canson,
– Our local partners
Hôtel Saint-Georges
BW Conseils
Concession Van Ness BMW
Keep up to date
with the musée Nicéphore Niépce
on Facebook
or follow us
on Twitter : @ musee_Niepce
or 26 Chalon Sud