Surfaces and Depths
« Depths must be hidden. Where?On the surface » Hugo von hofmannsthal
An artistic exploration of La Rochelle
An Indo-French project by Anupama Raju and Pascal Bernard
The rhythm of photography and poetry
See an excerpt from the exhibition and or book
Anupama :
«Landing on the surface of things and delving into its depths holds great mystery. And it is this mystery that has influenced artistes in their adventures for centuries. The depth of a city lies in its people, in its heritage, in its culture. In La Rochelle, the singlemost
surface that fascinates and draws me is that of the sea, and the city’s heritage.
The residency at Le Centre Intermondes in La Rochelle and the hospitality of the city gave me the opportunity to write a series of poems around the surfaces and depths of La Rochelle. These poems are accompanied by the photographs of Pascal who lives in this city. Pascal brings to the project a unique perspective underlined by his
life in La Rochelle, by his experiences and most importantly, his artistic vision.»
Pascal :
«During our first collaboration, Pondicherry: Une Ville, Un Lieu, Une Personne, the idea was that I would create the photographs which would inspire Anupama to write her poems. In our new project, Surfaces & Depths, our roles were reversed. I had to immerse myself in her writings and in her creative sensibility to illustrate her poems photographically, at the same time without limiting myself in anyway. I chose to work using digital photography, moving away from my black and white photographic culture, to look at La Rochelle from a fresh point of view. I had at heart the concept of the twin perspectives: the surface and the depth. But I also wished to mark my images with an Indian print or the idea of a red thread – suggesting the city where Anupama lives: an Indian dhoti* native to Kerala. The fusion
of our cultures was for me a fulfilling challenge: to succeed in harmonising two liberal forms of expression which will allow us to offer a combined
and diverse artistic vision.»
*Dhoti: A traditional cotton clothing worn by men and women
of Kerala and by men in many parts of India.
past exhibitions
04/2016 : Cloitre des Ursulines – La Rochelle – France
06/2015 : Alliance Française – Chandigarh – Inde
05/2015 : Alliance Française – Kochi – Inde
12/2014 : Alliance Française, Bangalore – Inde
09/2014 : Alliance Française, Hyderabad – Inde
07/2014 : Alliance Française, Panjim, Goa – Inde
05/2014 : Alliance Française, Pondichéry – Inde
01/2014 : Alliance Française, Trivandrum – Inde