VI-th Galerie-Photo conference Oct. 12-13, 2013, Graçay (FR)

VI-th Galerie-Photo conference Oct. 12-13, 2013, Graçay (FR)

"Alternatif !"

Alternative photographic processes, historical, present and future techniques.

VI-th Galerie-Photo conference, October 12 and 13, Graçay (Cher, FRANCE)

Presentation
The Galerie-Photo (http://www.galerie-photo.com) conference is a meeting dedicated to high resolution photography, including medium and large format photography as well as high-end digital imaging and printing, organized by volunteers since 2004. Previous events were held in 2004 (Nîmes-FR), 2006 (Fontfroide Abbey-FR), 2007 (Montreux-CH), 2008 (Bourges-FR) and 2010 (Perpignan-FR). So this year we'll celebrate almost 10 years of an uninterrupted series of conferences.

The sixth Galerie-Photo conference will address the questions related to the place of alternative photographic processes in contemporary photography, and the evolution of alternative processes facing the revolution of digital image techniques.

Several topics will be presented and discussed in conferences, panel discussions and workshops:

- First: what is the definition of "alternative photography"? Does it mean: a mixture of old and modern techniques, or should it be defined as the use of photo-chemistry and home-made photo-sensitive materials?

- What is the future of photographic images themselves? How can they be preserved? Can we speak about long-term image preservation? Is this issue the reason why alternative photographic processes are still in use and developed today, in an era where all images are gradually de-materialized?

Alternative photography offers a field of investigation and experimentation to contemporary visual artists, either research on artistic materials or on how to use them. Is this approach the opposite of hobbyists' approaches who tend to limit themselves to endless experiments? What is the place of those approaches in contemporary photography and in students' education?

Different highly regarded speakers coming from the world of photography and imaging will try to bring answers to the above mentioned questions and will share their present vision of today's challenges in alternative photography. After each conference, a panel session will be organized with the invited artists: Alfons Alt, Carlos Barrantes, Martin Becka, Laurent Lafolie. Students' works from École Nationale Supérieure Louis-Lumière and École des Arts Décoratifs de Strasbourg will be presented in a exhibition.

On Sunday morning, technical demonstration workshops will offer good opportunities to show a variety of alternative photographic techniques, from taking pictures to the final fine-art print, including: gum bichromated, wet plate (collodion), platinum and palladium prints, carbon printing and many other techniques. The public will be able to participate to selected hands-on workshops based on those processes.

In relation with those workshops, meeting and exchange spaces for informal sessions will be arranged allowing everybody to present and share their personal photographic images, work, equipment or techniques. Professional partners of the event will also present their products.

This conference is also the host of the Graçay Museum of Photography. The museum will be open to all attendees, and will provide its premises and teaching material to the conference participants.

The whole conference will be recorded on video, a DVD will be made with sound and image recordings of the best moments of the conference.

Conferences will be given in French, but many attendees do speak English, German or Spanish, so there should be little problem for attendees to exchange between them beyond the language barrier, either in the formal sessions or in the informal meetings.

Program

Day 1: Saturday, October 12-th, 2013
Start: 9 am

9:00 - 10:00 Welcome and opening session.
Jean-Pierre Charles, mayor of Graçay and member of the local government of département du Cher
Rémi Duroir, founder and head of the Graçay museum of Photography Henri Peyre, owner and editor of the Galerie-Photo web sites François Croizet, Erick Mengual, organizers of the conference.

10:00 - 10:30 Teaching old-fashioned photographic processes: an alternative teaching approach by Jean-Paul Gandolfo, Professor, École Nationale Supérieure Louis-Lumière (ENSLL, Noisy le Grand, France)

10:30 - 11:00 Alternative photography and problems related to the preservation and reproduction of our photographic heritage, by Jean-Philippe Boiteux, head of the reproduction group at the Paris Photographic Preservation and Restoration service (Paris, France), service directed by Madame Anne Cartier-Bresson.

11h30 - 12h00 Panel discussion, moderator: Henri Peyre - Owner and Editor of the Galerie-Photo web sites

12h00 - 14h00 Lunch

14:00 - 14:30 An alternative approach to the history of photography, by Camille Bonnefoi, photographer and professor, Strasbourg School of Decorative Arts (Strasbourg, France)

14:30 - 15:00 "The Crime Scene", or how Walter Benjamin (1892 - 1940) can help us to understand what is going on today in contemporary photography, by Jean-Claude Mougin, philosopher and fine-art photographer.

15:00 - 15:30 panel discussion, moderator: Emmanuel Bigler, professor, National Engineering Institute in Mechanics and Microtechnologies (ENSMM, Besançon, France).

15h30 - 16h30 coffee break and refreshments. Attendees can freely visit the conference exhibitions, meet the exhibitors, and visit the the Graçay museum of Photography located both at 2 minutes walk from the conference hall.

16:30 - 17:00 "A Minima", Archaic-like techniques in photography, by Yannick Vigouroux, photographer, art critic and historian of photography.

17h00 - 17h30 The Power of Imagination, by Marie Noëlle Leroy, photographer, historian of photography, teacher in alternative photographic techniques.

17h30 - 18h30 Panel discussion with invited artists. Moderator: Philippe Grunchec, doctor in art history and photography.

20h00 - 23h00 Conference dinner.

Day 2: Sunday, October 13-th, 2013
Start: 9am
9h00 - 9h30 Presentation of Workshops and Demos by François Croizet, Erick Mengual organizers of the conference
9:00 - 13:00 Demonstration Workshops

Platinum / Palladium
Gum Bichromated
Wet Plate (Collodion)
Salted Paper
Heliogravure
Heliochromy
Cyanotype
Oleotype - Bromoil
Cyanotype / Van Dyke
Carbon
Toning
Pinhole cameras
"Foto Povera"


Photographers in charge of the workshops and demonstrations will be provided with an exhibition space behind them in order to show their work in relation with the technical demonstrations. They will provide to public a one-page document explaining the principles of the techiques in use.


9:00 - 13:00 in parallel with demonstration Workshops, all participants can meet as an informal session, present their photographic work, their photographic equipment or all kinds kind of personal devices, photographic techniques, etc. Participants can also take the opportunity to meet exhibitors and professional partners.

13:00 - 14h30 Lunch

14:30 - 15:00 Closing session, debriefing and announcements related to the next galerie-photo conference already scheduled for 2015.

15h00 - 17h00 free visit of the Graçay Museum of Photography, visit the photographic exhibition with invited artists
Alfons Alt
Carlos Barrantes
Martin Becka
Laurent Lafolie

Students' works
Nina Ferrer-Gleize
Mélodie Meslet Tourneux
Alban Chassagne

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PRACTICAL DETAILS

DATES: FRIDAY AND SATURDAY OCTOBER 12 AND 13, 2013

LOCATION : GRAÇAY, France.

Graçay is located about 1/2 hour by car from Bourges or Vierzon at the center of France.

BY CAR: MOTORWAY A20 EXIT #9

BY TRAIN: nearest major train station is located in Vierzon.
Travel time by high-speed train from Paris to Vierzon is only 1h30-1h40 (non-stop TGV). One train on October 12 starts at 7:08 am from Paris and arrives in Vierzon at 8:50 am; and 2 trains back to Paris are available on Sunday at Vierzon after 4:30 pm.

Car pools can be organized, so whether you intend to come by car directly to Graçay or by train to Vierzon, please contact the organizers well in advance.

ADMISSION FEES :
30 euros for the 2 days, including: admission to sessions, workshops, demos and exhibitions (meals excluded).

Those who wish to take meals with the group can also register for the sum of 100 euros including meals.

For advance registration, meal and accommodation details,
please directly contact the organizer François Croizet by e-mail: francois dot croizet at wanadoo dot fr

or myself Emmanuel Bigler through the forum's messenging system.
We'll be glad to help you join us for this very special event!

More details on http://www.galerie-photo.com or on the forum http://www.galerie-photo.info for those who can read French

Detailed Program:
http://www.galerie-photo.com/congres...13-gracay.html

Ze Forum discussions in French for ze very last niouzes and tchats euh-baoutte ze conférence!
http://www.galerie-photo.info/forumgp/read.php?5,104

I am slated to be in France a full week earlier , I am bringing samples of hybrid prints , talk about bad timing for me.
I will be bringing samples of my work which will include tri colour over pd.
and quad toned solarizations.

be in France a full week earlier

Hi Bob
As you may imagine scheduling such an event is a compromise between various options for various week-ends.
I hope that your visit to France will be a good opportunity to meet other "Alternative" photographers.
In case you would need any help regarding meeting the French LF photo community, please do not hesitate to contact François Croizet, the organizer of the conference, or myself.