Océane Hiver Adreit
Xavier Barnet, born in Agen in 1995, possesses a unique perspective of the world around him, much like his self-portrait. Indeed, due to an accident that damaged his left optic nerve, he now experiences double vision.
Passionate about photography from a young age, he decided to self-teach and train himself in this discipline. His early photographs capture wild landscapes, as at the age of 12, he moved to a small island in Brittany before eventually reaching Lima, Peru, upon reaching adulthood. The stark contrast between his island home with a population of 300 and the sprawling desert metropolis of Lima, inhabited by 15 million people, left a profound impact on him.
Xavier Barnet draws inspiration from the works of Steve McCurry, Todd Hido, and Alexey Titarenko.
Alone together
"The failures of urban and architectural projects lie at the heart of my current photographic approach. My new series sheds light on three iconic buildings that sparked much hope but have sometimes disappointed their developers and residents.
Firstly, there is the renowned Cité Radieuse in Marseille, France. This project, designed by architect Le Corbusier in the 1950s, was intended to be a model of an ideal city, where residents could live in modern and spacious apartments with well-designed communal spaces. Unfortunately, reality turned out differently: some residents quickly began to complain about issues such as insulation, noise, and security, leading to costly renovations and social conflicts.
The second building is the Vele di Scampia in Naples, Italy. Designed by architect Francesco di Salvo in the 1970s, this ambitious project aimed to provide affordable and modern housing for a growing population. However, problems arose swiftly. The initial plans were modified to a less airy structure with tighter buildings. Due to an earthquake, the region's most vulnerable residents had to be relocated and sought refuge in these buildings before their completion. The site was quickly taken over and managed by the local mafia. Living conditions deteriorated rapidly, public spaces were poorly maintained, and violence became commonplace. Today, the residents of Vele di Scampia await a decision from the authorities regarding its potential renovation or demolition...
Lastly, we travel to Turkey to focus on Burj al Babas, an ambitious luxury real estate development project targeting wealthy buyers from the Persian Gulf. It was supposed to include 732 villas inspired by Gothic architecture, including the Galata Tower and the Leander Tower, both located in Istanbul, as well as a wide range of leisure facilities. However, the project soon faced financial difficulties, and most of the villas are now vacant and unfinished.
To undertake this project, I chose to work in two ways, using both digital and film cameras, to capture the diversity of textures and atmospheres of the different buildings. Through this photographic series, I hope to contribute to a broader reflection on how urban and architectural projects can succeed or fail, and the consequences of these successes or failures on the communities that inhabit them."
CONNEXION
Chapitre 1
Le digital a bouleversé nos vies, et en particulier nos relations amoureuses, désormais connectées.
Sur les applications de rencontres, chacun peut trouver son âme sœur, celle qui le fera rêver. Les «swipes» vers la droite
ou la gauche se multiplient, et parfois, une rencontre se dessine. Des écrans aux terrasses des cafés, une étincelle peut
rapidement jaillir, libérée. Les mots échangés, les photos partagées, permettent de mieux se connaître, de s’apprivoiser.
L’amour virtuel se transforme en passion réelle, les sentiments se révèlent.
Le digital a effacé les frontières, les langues, les cultures, tout peut se mélanger. Les distances ne sont plus un obstacle,
l’amour peut s’épanouir, aussi bien ici que là-bas. Les rencontres virtuelles peuvent être intenses, et les liens créés, aussi
forts qu’en personne. Car c’est la sincérité, la complicité, qui transcendent l’écran, pour se réunir dans la réalité.
Cependant, le digital peut également dissimuler des pièges, des mensonges, des tromperies, et parfois même des
mirages. En effet, il est facile de se projeter une fausse image de quelqu’un à travers un écran.
En somme, le digital a transformé les rencontres amoureuses, offrant désormais des possibilités fabuleuses : il nous
ouvre les portes de l’amour, vers l’infini. Cependant il est important de rester vigilant, de garder les yeux ouverts, pour ne
pas se laisser prendre au piège et être sûr de la véritable identité de la personne que l’on rencontre en ligne.
PASSION
Chapitre 2
"The failures of urban and architectural projects lie at the heart of my current photographic approach. My new series sheds light on three iconic buildings that sparked much hope but have sometimes disappointed their developers and residents.
Firstly, there is the renowned Cité Radieuse in Marseille, France. This project, designed by architect Le Corbusier in the 1950s, was intended to be a model of an ideal city, where residents could live in modern and spacious apartments with well-designed communal spaces. Unfortunately, reality turned out differently: some residents quickly began to complain about issues such as insulation, noise, and security, leading to costly renovations and social conflicts.
The second building is the Vele di Scampia in Naples, Italy. Designed by architect Francesco di Salvo in the 1970s, this ambitious project aimed to provide affordable and modern housing for a growing population. However, problems arose swiftly. The initial plans were modified to a less airy structure with tighter buildings. Due to an earthquake, the region's most vulnerable residents had to be relocated and sought refuge in these buildings before their completion. The site was quickly taken over and managed by the local mafia. Living conditions deteriorated rapidly, public spaces were poorly maintained, and violence became commonplace. Today, the residents of Vele di Scampia await a decision from the authorities regarding its potential renovation or demolition...
Lastly, we travel to Turkey to focus on Burj al Babas, an ambitious luxury real estate development project targeting wealthy buyers from the Persian Gulf. It was supposed to include 732 villas inspired by Gothic architecture, including the Galata Tower and the Leander Tower, both located in Istanbul, as well as a wide range of leisure facilities. However, the project soon faced financial difficulties, and most of the villas are now vacant and unfinished.
To undertake this project, I chose to work in two ways, using both digital and film cameras, to capture the diversity of textures and atmospheres of the different buildings. Through this photographic series, I hope to contribute to a broader reflection on how urban and architectural projects can succeed or fail, and the consequences of these successes or failures on the communities that inhabit them."
DECONNEXION
Chapitre 3
"The failures of urban and architectural projects lie at the heart of my current photographic approach. My new series sheds light on three iconic buildings that sparked much hope but have sometimes disappointed their developers and residents.
Firstly, there is the renowned Cité Radieuse in Marseille, France. This project, designed by architect Le Corbusier in the 1950s, was intended to be a model of an ideal city, where residents could live in modern and spacious apartments with well-designed communal spaces. Unfortunately, reality turned out differently: some residents quickly began to complain about issues such as insulation, noise, and security, leading to costly renovations and social conflicts.
The second building is the Vele di Scampia in Naples, Italy. Designed by architect Francesco di Salvo in the 1970s, this ambitious project aimed to provide affordable and modern housing for a growing population. However, problems arose swiftly. The initial plans were modified to a less airy structure with tighter buildings. Due to an earthquake, the region's most vulnerable residents had to be relocated and sought refuge in these buildings before their completion. The site was quickly taken over and managed by the local mafia. Living conditions deteriorated rapidly, public spaces were poorly maintained, and violence became commonplace. Today, the residents of Vele di Scampia await a decision from the authorities regarding its potential renovation or demolition...
Lastly, we travel to Turkey to focus on Burj al Babas, an ambitious luxury real estate development project targeting wealthy buyers from the Persian Gulf. It was supposed to include 732 villas inspired by Gothic architecture, including the Galata Tower and the Leander Tower, both located in Istanbul, as well as a wide range of leisure facilities. However, the project soon faced financial difficulties, and most of the villas are now vacant and unfinished.
To undertake this project, I chose to work in two ways, using both digital and film cameras, to capture the diversity of textures and atmospheres of the different buildings. Through this photographic series, I hope to contribute to a broader reflection on how urban and architectural projects can succeed or fail, and the consequences of these successes or failures on the communities that inhabit them."
ABSENCE
Chapitre 4
"The failures of urban and architectural projects lie at the heart of my current photographic approach. My new series sheds light on three iconic buildings that sparked much hope but have sometimes disappointed their developers and residents.
Firstly, there is the renowned Cité Radieuse in Marseille, France. This project, designed by architect Le Corbusier in the 1950s, was intended to be a model of an ideal city, where residents could live in modern and spacious apartments with well-designed communal spaces. Unfortunately, reality turned out differently: some residents quickly began to complain about issues such as insulation, noise, and security, leading to costly renovations and social conflicts.
The second building is the Vele di Scampia in Naples, Italy. Designed by architect Francesco di Salvo in the 1970s, this ambitious project aimed to provide affordable and modern housing for a growing population. However, problems arose swiftly. The initial plans were modified to a less airy structure with tighter buildings. Due to an earthquake, the region's most vulnerable residents had to be relocated and sought refuge in these buildings before their completion. The site was quickly taken over and managed by the local mafia. Living conditions deteriorated rapidly, public spaces were poorly maintained, and violence became commonplace. Today, the residents of Vele di Scampia await a decision from the authorities regarding its potential renovation or demolition...
Lastly, we travel to Turkey to focus on Burj al Babas, an ambitious luxury real estate development project targeting wealthy buyers from the Persian Gulf. It was supposed to include 732 villas inspired by Gothic architecture, including the Galata Tower and the Leander Tower, both located in Istanbul, as well as a wide range of leisure facilities. However, the project soon faced financial difficulties, and most of the villas are now vacant and unfinished.
To undertake this project, I chose to work in two ways, using both digital and film cameras, to capture the diversity of textures and atmospheres of the different buildings. Through this photographic series, I hope to contribute to a broader reflection on how urban and architectural projects can succeed or fail, and the consequences of these successes or failures on the communities that inhabit them."
En ressortant de cette exposition, une question nous habite : jusqu’où le digital peut-il nous mener dans notre quête de
l’amour ? Est-il un outil qui facilite les rencontres et les rapprochements, ou bien un écran qui nous sépare de la réalité, de
l’autre, de nous-mêmes ?
Cette exposition nous montre que le digital peut offrir des opportunités uniques, mais qu’il peut aussi être source de
souffrance et de déchirement. Elle nous invite à réfléchir sur la place que nous accordons aux écrans dans nos relations
amoureuses, sur la manière dont nous pouvons les utiliser pour nous rapprocher ou nous éloigner de l’être aimé.
Mais au-delà de ces interrogations, elle nous rappelle que l’amour reste avant tout une aventure humaine, qui ne peut
être réduite à des échanges virtuels. Nous montrant que les écrans ne peuvent remplacer les gestes tendres, les regards
complices, les émotions partagées.
Alors, peut-être est-il temps de se questionner sur notre rapport au digital, sur la place que nous lui accordons dans
nos vies et dans nos relations. Peut-être est-il temps de réapprendre à aimer, sans se cacher derrière des écrans, en se
confrontant à la réalité de l’autre, de ses failles et de ses richesses.
Ces photos sont le témoignage vibrant de l’amour, de ses élans et de ses épreuves, mais aussi une invitation à ouvrir le
débat. Car c’est en se posant les bonnes questions que nous pourrons faire de la technologie un allié de l’amour, plutôt
qu’un obstacle à son épanouissement.