Grégoire Korganow

In this FotoTV interview, photographer Grégoire Korganow talks about his exhibition at the Les Rencontres d’Arles The 39th International Photography Festival, 2 very contrasting series shown side by side: “Beside the Prisoners”, and “Backstage”.

Korganow’s project, Beside the Prisoners is a poignant documentation of the lives of the families of incarcerated prisoners. He follows mothers, fathers, wives, and children who visit their loved ones in prison, during trips between home and prison. Korganow’s images the capture the people's private lives and their solitude, silent faces marked by love, demonstrating the powerful link between the men and women and the person they love who are in prison.

His project entitled Backstage is a unique, non-anecdotal look at the tumultuous situations of fashion shows backstage. Never knowing exactly what he will be shooting, Korganow is no doubt an explorer in fashion, while concentrating on the shapes he creates a new perspective of the tension backstage before the girls are to walk out onstage. He photographs images sometimes using flash, black and white, or color, sometimes with a mix of camera shake and close-ups – but never losing the focus on the clothing.

It is a contrast to show the projects side by side at an exhibition, but that is exactly what Korganow intends to display – the harsh contradictions and distinctions between the two worlds. Displaying the projects side-by-side Korganow successfully gives viewers an in depth look at two very different realms, the superficial world of fashion and the stark reality of prison.