FLOW is an exciting new cultural and civic event launching in the Occitanie region of France. The inaugural edition presents the work of nine photographers and visual artists, and engages with the biggest questions facing today’s world: exile, migration and the fragility of global ecosystems. It takes place across four heritage sites, with venues like a 13th century cathedral and an Art Nouveau château. There’s a dialogue between then and now, and a drive to expand the parameters of where art can be shown and enjoyed.
Time and memory are, fittingly, potent throughlines. Anne Immelé reframes caves linked to Phoenician civilisation (1500 – 300 BC) in the context of today’s ongoing migrant crisis. Elsewhere, Oleñka Carrasco brings a deeply personal stance to the topic; she speaks to the history of Venezuela and its exiled people through the lens of her own loss. In 2020, she learned via video call – at a distance – that her father had passed away, an experience that profoundly altered the trajectory of her life and creative work.
Ryan Hopkinson takes a more abstract approach to the topic by visualizing large metallic sculptures in outdoor settings, where they will gradually integrate with their surroundings. It’s an exploration of what endures and what fades. Likewise, Samuel Bollendorff considers longevity and impermanence in nature. In 2019, Bollendorff joined the Tara Microplastics mission, collecting 2,700 samples from 45 sites. His photographs tell a grim story of the ephemerality of maritime landscapes. FLOW is a promising new addition to the art calendar, encouraging is to consider threads of connection across time and place.
FLOW: Fragile is Precious is in Occitanie, France from 20 September: theeyes.eu
Words: Emma Jacob
Image Credits:
1&3. Universalis © Ryan Hopkinson.
2. Void © Ryan Hopkinson.
