Press cuttings on MYOP IN ARLES !

Nathalie Hof in Our Age is Thirteen

Upon entering the building that hosts Myop in Arles, I sense that I’m about to experience an exhibition like no other. The agency photographers have invested an abandoned mansion, and former squat, and transformed it into a huge exhibition space on three floors. I only have to venture into a small courtyard to discover the work of Ed Alcock that continues on the first floor. From Love Lane to Hobbledehoy, I am captivated. ! The exhibition space itself is beautiful and serves as a wonderful backdrop for the photographs. In this maze of stairs and old rooms, I meet the photographer, Ulrich Lebeuf who tells me of his work on "The forgotten of our countryside," a collective project organized jointly with Catholic Caritas, warning about rural poverty. Made in the Somme region, Lebeuf’s series, "The Forgotten Valley," paints a portrait of the rural French, overwhelmed by their financial difficulties following the closure of factories, and who have taken to drugs and alcohol as their last refuge. Mathieu, a heroin addict, is one of them. At 27, this young adult lives with his mother, with income support as the sole income. Lack of opportunity, lack of interest in government, this is not the French countryside of rest and serenity that we like to portray. !

Renaud Labracherie in Focus Numérique

Abandoned for many years, the mansion where Agence MYOP present their work has suffered the ravages of time. The photographers have fully invested the space, offering us different stage sets. Here, unlike most shows of the festival, everything has been designed to immerse visitors in the mood. ! Stephane Lagoutte’s work on Fleming city is a slap in the face. The oozing decay seems to come at us out of the frames. In a darkened room, it is the concierge of the building, in a pre-recorded interview, describes life here, with all it’s daily pressure. ! We continue our exploration. Inside one room, we discover the real faces of the Front National, those who are not necessarily making the headlines. The fine work of France Keyser shows the diversity of these participants from the simple countryman to the tattooed skinheads. ! Climbing the stairs, we are taken back 10 years, to the Crimea with large prints by Julien Daniel. We climb again to discover the poignant stories in « The Forgotten of our countryside », in partnership with Catholic Caritas. The shots of Oliver Jobard (Ester and Armando), Ulrich Lebeuf (Valley of the Forgotten) and the duo Lionel Charrier and Alain Keler (The Empty Diagonal) are a poignant testimony to the precarious conditions in which many live French people in the rural areas. A precarity that makes for a nice echo with the masked garbage collectors in the Republic of Congo, by Philippe Guionie. ! In the subdued atmosphere of a reconstructed apartment room, you will also discover Hobbledehoy by Ed Alcock. A bright work on the family and the complicity between mother and child. A moment of happiness and love in this troubled period that feels great. ! Overall, a winding journey, sometimes dark and narrow, sometimes bright, but always full of emotion, this is the exhibition that should not be missed during the Rencontres d’Arles 2014. !!!!!!!!!!