In conversation with Samuel Bollendorff and Lucille Reyboz (co-founder and co-director) [EN・JP]

Trace Samuel’s trajectory through photography, starting with his time in the groundbreaking photo collective lʼŒil Public. Samuel and Lucille will discuss the changes in photography from their perspective, from photojournalism to documentary, the importance of collaboration, and the evolution of Samuel’s work. During this event, Samuel will share his projects not seen in KYOTOGRAPHIE. 

About  lʼŒil Public:
During the 90s, the press crisis forced freelance photojournalists to get together and form photographers’ collectives. In 2000, in order to safeguard the photographers’ means of production, Samuel Bollendorff organized et becomes chair of the agency l’Œil Public, writing the founding charts guaranteeing the independence of this press agency managed by the photographers themselves. L’Œil Public, the first collective to have successfully made the breakthrough to online content publishing, was an internationally appreciated agency, owing to the quality of its productions, the high standards of its investigations, but also for its capacity to create gripping stories in a time of crisis and despite highly unfavourable circumstances. It was one of the last independent French press photography agencies. Beyond its independence, the originality of lʼŒil Public resided in the bringing together of ten independent photographers whose open approach, doubled by an interest in the burning issues of current events, brought a powerful and unique point of view on the world we live in. Their individual expression and aesthetic choices turned lʼŒil Public into THE agency of the new wave of documentary photography in Europe. In 2010, the photographers decide to close lʼŒil Public in order to lighten even further the economic model of the collective, and to adapt to a changing world and go on defending their freedom of expression.