Home > Mostre 2018

As It May Be

Bieke Depoorter ha intrapreso viaggi regolari in Egitto nel 2011, anno d’inizio della rivoluzione, in un periodo segnato da disordini e sospetti, durante il quale la vita privata veniva spesso tenuta nascosta. Chiedeva alle persone che incontrava se poteva passare la notte a casa loro. Le donne, i loro mariti e i loro figli hanno condiviso con lei la quotidianità, il cibo e persino il letto. Tuttavia la consapevolezza del suo status di outsider, sia culturalmente che come fotografa, ha iniziato a crescere. Nel 2017 ha rivisitato l’Egitto con la prima bozza di questo libro, invitando le persone a scrivere commenti direttamente sulle fotografie. Sono emerse opinioni contrastanti sul Paese, la religione, la società e la fotografia. Visioni di persone che altrimenti non si sarebbero mai incrociate.

EGYPT. 2013. (Translation of the written text below) - You can stay with me no problem, a day, a week, a month. But taking pictures: no. - Sometimes all the borders · customs, traditions, doctrines - can make you lose confidence in yourself. You have to trust yourself first before you can trust others. - My name is Nora and I corne from a middle-class family. I think my parents would never allow a stranger to corne stay in our house for a day, because of issues with privacy and fear of strangers and crime. The fear is due to all the problems we read about on social media, fear that these stories might happen to us. I wouldn't allow you to take a picture of me because I would consider that a violation of my privacy. And because l'm not used to dealing with strangers. - I agree with these ideas. - There are a lot of people out there who think this way because of the current situation. - Marna says spend the night with us, or with Karima our neighbour, because her bathroom is better. - The problem is not privacy. The problem is our fear of how people will judge us. - If they knew that this book would be published in Egypt, they would not agree to being photographed. - Haven't you heard about Regeni, the ltalian? - Who is Regeni the ltalian? - They tortured him as if he was Egyptian (the mother of Regeni said). That's very painful for us, as Egyptians. - People here are programmed to think that a foreigner with a camera is a spy. - But that's actually true. - Why are people afraid of you? - Advice from my father to you: don't trust anyone, because that's just blind trust. But treat people with good intentions, until something proves otherwise. - The picture was taken when she was in a bad state of mind, a sad mood. - I am one of those people who wouldn't want to be photographed in my house while relaxing. - I sit like this at home every day.
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EGYPT. Fayoum. Tunis. 2013. (Translation of the written text below) - Where are the human rights in Egypt? I ask the whole world to corne and see the poverty in Egypt. - This opinion shows Egypt in a bad way. You'd better not put it in the book, because the state security people who are responsible for Egypt might become suspicious of you. - You cannot photograph a woman while she is sleeping, because a man might see it. - Our country, Egypt, is the country of safety and security, and all is well here. Long Iive Egypt! - I agree. - Egypt has a lot of potential, it is rich, but the government is not fair with all the people. - This opinion gets you involved into politics. lt's better if you ignore it, you're better off not publishing it. - Egypt is not poor. - Sleeping and eating are private things. You should not be exposing them, they should be hidden. - l'm not really bothered by the idea. - Wrinkles in the face. - How can you know this if she's wearing the niqab?? - Not true. This is true: 1. Sunna from the prophet, may God bless him. 2. Chastity of the Muslim woman. - Plastic bag from Al Orman. - Not true, because the bag has "Mecca clothing store" written on it.
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EGYPT. Cairo. 2012. (Translation of the written text below) - What is the purpose of this picture? - A picture of the house of someone poor to make the rich think about how they need the basic requirements for a good life. Anyone who wants to help the owner of this house can call the following number: 01063649227 / 0032474954000 - Papa says: that's a very good idea. - I agree, that's a good idea. - Beautiful idea. - Does someone use this kitchen or is it abandoned? - Do these gas stoves still exist? - They still exist in sium areas. - There are no houses that look like this close to the pyramids. - I can't believe that there are houses like this near the pyramids because the pyramids are in an upscale area. - I went to a house that looks like this and I really liked it and felt very relaxed. - A picture does not always show the difference between rich an poor.
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Bieke Depoorter Vincitrice del COTM PhMuseum Grant 2018

Bieke Depoorter (1986, Kortrijk, Belgio) ha conseguito un master in Fotografia presso la Royal Academy of Fine Arts di Gand nel 2009. A soli 25 anni è entrata a far parte dell’agenzia Magnum, presso la quale è stata nominata nel 2012 e ne è diventata membro a pieno titolo nel 2016.

Per la serie Ou Menya, la giovane artista ha viaggiato per tre mesi in Russia a bordo della ferrovia Transiberiana. Quest’opera le è valsa diversi premi, tra cui il Magnum Expression Award nel 2009 ed è diventato un libro pubblicato da Lannoo nel 2011. Per I am about to call it a day, Depoorter si è recata negli Stati Uniti e l’omonimo libro è stato pubblicato nel 2014 in Svizzera e Belgio. Depoorter ha completato il suo primo cortometraggio, Dvalemodus, nel 2017, insieme al musicista Mattias De Craene. As it may be è il suo nuovo libro, pubblicato da Aperture, Edizioni Xavier Barral e Hannibal.