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Décadence urbaine
Xavier Barnet

Venez découvrir le 1er triptyque dans notre galerie, cette série photographique explorant les projets urbains et architecturaux n'ayant pas pu atteindre le but désiré par l'architecte, promoteur ou autorité.

Exposition du 18/01 au 01/04 dans la galerie Jam-teery

85 boulevard barthelemy dagnan 

83190 Ollioules

Portrait Xavier Barnet Agence Jam-Teery

Xavier Barnet

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.

Décadence Urbaine

"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."

Sélection

Exposition collective 

Festival Phnmn fréquence : 29,30 septembre 2023

Parution

"En revenant de l'expo"

a découvrir ici

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