“In this work, I photographed Baroque-style churches in Germany, Austria and Spain according to criteria of architectural rhetoric. I selected these churches according to their exuberance, as well as the arrangement and level of saturation of their ornamentation, composed of decorative, figurative and symbolic elements. I photographed these places of worship in such a way as to produce an effect of visual saturation and a certain degree of abstraction in my images, with the intention that the viewer should first lose his or her visual bearings, and then be able to perceive the different elements that make them up. I have sought to compress the three-dimensionality of these churches into the picture plane, in order to better manifest the trompe-l'oeil of the Baroque, so that all the architecture merges with the painting. This flattening out of Baroque exuberance and excess serves as an elliptical critique of the contemporary society of spectacle. In the accumulation of spectacle(s) in today's culture, the world is in constant representation, and desires are channeled into images. By choosing the baroque as a metaphor for spectacle, my images also function as a reminder that the spectacular regime of images is in fact a historical given.“
Cyril Porchet
BA PHOTOGRAPHY
with Natacha Lesueur
Documentary, the power of make-believe Based on projects developed around a common theme, the students develop a personal, in-depth project around the theme of pretense. They build a project that plays with the limits of veracity in photography, using it as an artifice of deception.
BA PHOTOGRAPHY
with Natacha Lesueur
Off-camera By exploring what lies outside the frame, students develop a sensitive and reflective approach to audiovisual creation. Throughout the semester, students are encouraged to reflect on the political and formal issues surrounding the moving image, as well as the relationship between the visible and the invisible.
BA PHOTOGRAPHY
with Charlotte Krieger
Unseen This course introduces students to the creation of a seven-image series built around the theme Unseen. They will learn to combine set design, characters, and lighting to produce strong, coherent staged images. Through a practical and technical approach, the course develops their ability to conceive and manage a complete photographic project, direct models, work with natural and artificial light, and collaborate under conditions similar to professional editorial or commercial shoots. Students will refine their photographic vision while preparing for the creative and technical demands of the industry.
BA PHOTOGRAPHY
by Salomé Billato
Grosse is a photographic book that combines self-portraits, documentary images, and fictional images exploring the contemporary body. By reclaiming the word "grosse", a term marked by shame and stigma, this project questions beauty standards and their hold over our relationship to the body. It draws on the artist's personal experience with Wegovy, a weight-loss treatment that intensified constant monitoring of her body. Grosse explores a central contradiction: the criticism these norms while participating in them. The book questions how far we are willing to reshape our bodies in order to conform to socially constructed ideals.
BA PHOTOGRAPHY
by Lee Eggenschwiler
Standard Values explores the opaque economy of colored gemstones in Bangkok. Conceived as a visual investigation, this project focuses on the gray areas of this industry, capturing the precise moment when trust mechanisms and global flows transform a simple stone into a standardized ideal of luxury. The book confronts the raw materiality of the gems with the urban space, creating a dialogue between the facets of the crystals and the architecture of the skyscrapers to reveal their similarities and inclusions. Yet, the images also reveal a sense of solitude within an illusory opulence, moving between empty shops and anonymous bodies.