Sheep condition

The exhibition consists of three series of photos, which respond to each other while being different: Celebrities are portraits of sheep, lambs, and rams in the studio, thus exalting the individuality of each one. Présumés Innocents shows, in the manner of a reportage, the sheep in the pastures. The mask on their eyes protects their right to the image; they are individuals still presumed innocent! Field of Honor is the place where the sacrifice is made in mass; their docility to their master makes them guilty. These three series are presented on a continuous strip, creating a repetitive rhythm that illustrates the diversity and similarity of group behaviors. The artist is inspired by the famous "sheep of Panurge," a character from the book by François Rabelais, which illustrates how individuals tend to follow the group without thinking. But also, scientific research on crowds conducted at the end of the 19th century by G. Le Bon, W. Trotter, and Sigmund Freud. History and current events remind us of it regularly: when one blends into the crowd, it becomes more difficult to keep perspective and think for oneself. Authorities and manipulators exploit this tendency through persuasion, charm, imposture, or violence. This exhibition invites us to reflect: is it forgetting that makes history repeat itself? The fear of being isolated that pushes us to follow others? Or do some seek, voluntarily, to maintain ignorance to control the group?