For this exhibition, artist Mathieu Pernot and historian Philippe Artières teamed up to explore the archives of the ‘asile’ (psychiatric hospital) at Picauville in Normandy. They discovered a rich seam of photographs, startling in their banality – an improbable body of material stretching from the 1930s to the present day. Photos, videos, postcards, medical images, written testimonies and diary extracts cover everything from daily walks to charity bazaars and meals in the canteen, an entire universe emerging from the shadows. It's a million miles from the dramatic representations of mental illness that have been dominant since the 19th century – closer to the raw reportage of Raymond Depardon and Diane Arbus, but without the artistic dimension.
L'Asile des photographies : Mathieu Pernot et Philippe Artières
Time Out says
Details
- Address:
- Price:
- €5.50-€8
Discover Time Out original video