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PHOTOGRAPHY

PRATIQUE PHOTOGRAPHIQUE

with Nicolas Poillot

The "Commission & Photography" course aims to conceptualize and produce visual content for an editorial series, emphasizing applied photography and collaboration with an Art Director. It allows students to explore various photographic territories such as editorial, documentary, fashion, still life, and fiction. Objectives include understanding editorial commissions, conceptualizing and presenting ideas, as well as effectively collaborating with an Art Director. Students are required to produce a series of images while adhering to the given theme and constraints, while also developing preliminary research, a structured methodology, series architecture, and finding solutions to creative problems encountered. The theme involves each student selecting and photographing three personal objects that are particularly meaningful to them.

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Photographic revelation

with Laurence Bonvin

Endurance In this course, the objectives are to allow students to experiment with new approaches or techniques regarding past, ongoing, or diploma projects. They also have the opportunity to revisit and refine subjects that have not met their satisfaction in terms of concept, form, technique, or execution. This experience aims to expand ideas, refine techniques, continue unfinished work while improving it, or build a more comprehensive body of images. Endurance lies at the heart of this process, whether it's persevering in completing a project, revisiting an idea until it's exhausted, or overcoming obstacles such as lack of time, self-confidence, or courage. This semester thus offers students the opportunity to confront their limits, surpass them, and achieve their best in their endeavors.

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Workshop Photographic chamber

with Matthieu Gafsou

The workshop week 4x5 is both an introduction to the 4x5 technical camera and a way to kickstart a photographic project. Students experience the process of analog shooting, from development to large format printing. This intense week is highly technical, but also focused on developing a photographic language, allowing for a better understanding of the fundamental workings of photography.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Sara De Brito Faustino – Toute petite et vilaine

by Sara De Brito Faustino

“This project presents the home as a place where uncanniness and vernacular commonness exist side by side. Being an intimate space, a home should be a restful and secure place. However, mine has been the scene of some painful events. Today, I see this house as threatening. Uncomfortable and dysfunctional, it bears the scars of the past. In my photographs, I revisit those memories and reclaim my body. My tiny dioramas express my young self’s ideals opposed to the wounds I currently bear. Constructing, deconstructing, objects become bodies, whereas my being feels deformed and petrified. Toute petite et vilaine (“Tiny and Ugly”) creates an antagonistic tension between appealing visuals and disturbing details.“

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Gaétan Uldry – I NO LONGER LOVE BLUE SKIES

by Gaétan Uldry

The drone is a machine for control, surveillance and suppression that is increasingly used and improved in its technological evolution. The drone acts as a prism that recreates a new reality, filtering and annihilating the real world. The image produced is a kind of mirage, devoid of meaning. The machine creates a deliberate feeling of distance with the need to confront death. This book highlights this new reality by collecting, cropping and assembling images produced by drones to denounce the absurdity and danger of these devices for carrying out violence. It questions the status of these images, whose plasticity and aesthetics obscure and conceal the true nature of their function, which remains to control, monitor and kill.

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Matteo Angelé – If I Could Tell You/Se Potessi Dirtelo

by Matteo Angelé

This reappropriation project attempts to question the influence of context and medium by reusing pornographic images from homosexual magazines of the 1980s – a decade marked by the discovery of AIDS. Originally created for purely pornographic purposes, these images, representing bodies devoid of movement and stemming from bondage culture, describe the male archetype as characterised by Rudy Lemcke in A History of Violence: “Born and shaped by violence (…), we exist in a world where these dynamics of power and control are already operating for, with and against us. The effects of violence are a part of who we are.”

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Valerie Geissbühler – Soft Matter in Interwoven Worlds

by Valerie Geissbühler

“Soft Matter in Interwoven Worlds is a multifaceted installation that brings together narratives focusing on the potato. These stories retrace the tuber’s journey from Peru, its birthplace, to Switzerland. A soft matter is an entity that is perceived as unheroic and taken for granted. Instead of reducing the potato to a food plant, I see it as a resilient carrier of life as well as a creature. The boundaries between endings and beginnings blur as I navigate the ambiguity of birth, growth, death and loss. I merge ancestral knowledge and autofictional imagery by moving among multiple perspectives, territories and times, my bicultural identity and womanhood. All this brings me back to the roots of it all and leaves me to wonder: did I raise you or did you give birth to me?“

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Jessica Dreier – Margem Sul

by Jessica Dreier

"Margem Sul explores the social and political history of Portugal, focusing on the south margin opposite Lisbon. I documented Barreiro, Almada, Moita and Trafaria, with a focus on Segundo Torrão. After the Carnation Revolution in 1974, Angolan, Mozambican, Cape Verdean, Guinean and Santomean populations settled here, forming a strong comunity. Local rappers denounce the growing gentrification of Trafaria. The State justifies the demolitions on security grounds but remains evasive about their real motivations. Since the end of 2022, more and more homes have been demolished and people evicted. My work seeks to amplify the voice of the actors, expressing a variety of situations, from wandering to overt situations."

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Louis Victorin Michel – Deus Corporatæ

by Louis Victorin Michel

Deus Corporatæ weaves connections between the world of money and power, attempting to portray the corporate world as a numinous fortress. Its imposing architectures convey a sense of absolute presence, an almost sacred dimension. Symbols are scattered around these places, resembling coats of arms, allowing for the recognition of the various corporations in the city. These glass facades illuminate the surroundings by reflecting light through contemporary materials such as glass and steel. All of the rules of capitalist, globalised work culture create a new contemporary mythology, associated with rituals that foster a sense of belonging to this world. The project seeks to establish these new mythologies of financial power, whose façade appears transparent, but often wields influential power on an international level.

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Eloïse Genoud – INSIDE

by Eloïse Genoud

“INSIDE is a project that focuses on contemporary dance, movement and the human body. It stems from my deep passion for dance and aims to capture the essence of this art form from a personal perspective. Drawing from my 18 years of experience as a dancer, I strive to bring forth the energy, collective spirit and love for the stage that is inherent in this art form. INSIDE alludes to that special moment of stepping into the spotlight, where bodies and light come together in a profound connection. This work is not a documentary on dance, but rather an experimental journey where individuals merge into a common entity. A major part of the project was staged, requiring choreography and active participation in the dances designed exclusively for this production.“

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Inès Mermoud – OS CRIAS

by Inès Mermoud

OS CRIAS attempts to shed light on the relationship between children living in various favelas in Rio de Janeiro and the violence that surrounds them. It addresses the subject from a personal point of view, based on family stories and experiences. The documentary book evokes Brazil’s political and social issues from a critical perspective, and links together different types of images. A participatory approach is also highlighted.

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Ulises Lozano – Coming in

by Ulises Lozano

“Adolescence is synonymous with identity construction. Identity is redefined by today’s youth. The aesthetics they adopt reflect a desire for singularity in a changing society. In a collaborative way, I accompany a process of self-affirmation. They blossom and I offer them a space in which to express themselves. Photography takes shape: a safe place for participants to unfold their fantasised personalities – a kind of alter ego in the making. These self-portraits echo the intimate experience of coming in. They become moments of breath, of reconciliation. Through encounters, drawing and photography, they reveal their intimate selves to me. Coming in is a visual interpretation of this process.“

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Samuel Spreyz – MSM. Rx

by Samuel Spreyz

"Are cis gay men trapped in the medical system forever? Like desiring clones under chemical influence, they are enjoying a new sexual revolution – a revolution under legal drugs. If they want to bring liberalism into their sexuality, they have to become long-term patients. By virtue of PrEP, their use of the health system intensifies and MSM Rx is an attempt to represent this era. My visual essay is driven by my fascination for this lifestyle, a fusion of legal and illegal drugs, sultry parties and consensual hardcore practices."

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BLI × ECAL

with Matthieu Gafsou

The collaboration between the ECAL and the BLI touches on contemporary issues that are of particular concern to students at the school: our relationship with minorities and the appropriate way of representing them. For a long time, a paternalistic anthropological attitude was tolerated and even encouraged in the world of photography. Attitudes have changed, and the young artists at the ECAL have developed a relationship of equals with the various communities they have encountered. Creating the images required a language that enabled the students to position themselves in relation to others and to establish protocols in line with their own values and those of the people on the other side of the lens. The images give us a complex, multifaceted panorama of our city's cultural diversity, and show us that encounters and mixes are possible and fruitful. Matthieu Gafsou, photographer and teacher.

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Staged Photography

with Charlotte Krieger

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the creation and management of a complex photographic project involving sets, characters and lighting. The theme is free.

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Workshop Photographic chamber

with Matthieu Gafsou

The workshop week 4x5 is both an introduction to the 4x5 technical camera and a way to kickstart a photographic project. Students experience the process of analog shooting, from development to large format printing. This intense week is highly technical, but also focused on developing a photographic language, allowing for a better understanding of the fundamental workings of photography.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Vampire week

with Jean-Vincent Simonet

During one week, the students developed techniques that transform perception and the relationship with the corpus of images: erasure, displacement, loss of the sensation of reality.

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Workshop with Elizaveta Porodina

by Maude Bally, Ettore Bruni, Adel Debabéche, Rebecca Dubuis, Sofia Grytsiv, Belinda Kiela, Lester Kielstein, Eliot Pizzera, Melanie Rengifo, Inès Riber, Ashley Schneiter, Héloïse Tourrenc, Kristina Yenza, Johanna Bommer, Jennica Folkesson, Lorane Hochstätter, Cyriane Rawyler, Seraphine Sallin-Mason, Rose Graf, Lee Eggenschwiler, Fredrik Maag, Emanuele Delpozzo, Hector Codazzi, Maël Le Guével

For this workshop, Elizaveta Porodina asked the students to explore the theme "AFTERHUMAN". This theme opens up perspectives for capturing futuristic landscapes, representing the potential fusion of technology and humanity. Think about visually depicting the coexistence of artificial intelligence, cybernetics or biotechnology with natural elements. Experiment with innovative techniques to convey a sense of evolution or transcendence. This exploration invites photographers to creatively interpret and visually narrate a future beyond conventional human experience.

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Workshop Geray Mena

with Geray Mena

The workshop focused on the dissolution of genres within photography: documentary, fashion, still life and portraiture. Students built bridges between commercial and artistic practice.

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Workshop with Taiyo Onorato

with Taiyo Onorato

This workshop focused on staged photography, particularly emphasizing staged portraits. The concentration was on the two essential elements of the portrait: working with the object and manipulating its background. Staged portraits set themselves apart from mere snapshots by actively creating an image, steering clear of reality. Tools like light, background, and pose were employed to craft a deliberate narrative. Individuals were staged, altered in specific ways, adorned with outfits and masks. The workshop delved into the interest in masks as tools for transformation and representation. Throughout the workshop, masks were produced using available means, and they became the central objects of staging. Students photographed and filmed them, capturing the essence of transformation. The second element of the workshop, which focused on the background, pop-up techniques were experimented with. The backdrop, a dynamic part of the narrative, was manipulated using cleverly designed sets and unexpected spatial techniques. The focus was not just on capturing moments but on crafting them, bringing forth stories that transcended the boundaries of reality. The workshop provided a platform for unleashing creativity and experimentation.

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Révélation Photographique

with Laurence Bonvin

During the first semester of the third year, this course enables students to take up a project they have already started, which could be continued in the second semester for the diploma. Students are encouraged to take risks in form, technique, production or subject matter.

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PRATIQUE PHOTOGRAPHIQUE

with Nicolas Poillot

By conceptualizing and producing the visual content for a magazine, themed - RESISTANCE - the students approached the notion of applied photography in a practical, creative and professional way in close collaboration with an Art Director.

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Création photographique

with Natacha Lesueur

Over the course of a semester, the students develop a project that examines the challenges of auteur photography and develops their personal expression. The project may be continued as a diploma project in the second semester.

GRAPHIC DESIGN

MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN

PHOTOGRAPHY

Le livre d’artiste - 2022

with Anouk Schneider Agabekov, Chi-Long Trieu

As part of the publishing course led by Anouk Schneider and Chi-Long Trieu, 2nd year Visual Communication students had the opportunity to design an artist's book during the first semester. This book project stands out for its contemporary approach aimed at creating an editorial object that harmoniously integrates form and content in the current context of the editorial landscape. Students were encouraged to exploit their artistic freedom at all levels of creation, whether in terms of format, choice of paper, binding, layout, illustrations, text or typography. As part of this course, the artist's book can take shape through various illustration modalities, such as photography, reproduction, contextualization, drawing, 3D, etc. The emphasis is on the author's artistic vision and the means implemented to realize it. Students take on multiple roles as editor, curator and architect, covering the responsibilities of artistic director, designer, photographer, stylist, illustrator, typographer, editor-in-chief, and editorial secretary. This course highlights contemporary editorial design by exploring the narrative potential of a sequence of controlled content.

MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN

PHOTOGRAPHY

Redesign 2022

with Giliane Cachin

As part of the course given by Giliane Cachin, 1st year students are required to produce an edition by examining the different axes that make it up. The course offers a study of various grid systems and the fundamentals of micro-typography. During the semester, students will look for the best way to structure and arrange the content they have chosen (or which has been assigned to them, depending on the semester's data). Some essential rules to know in terms of printing and bindings will be reviewed at the end of the semester, in order to bring the conceptualized object to life.

GRAPHIC DESIGN

MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN

PHOTOGRAPHY

Service Design - 2023

with Angelo Benedetto, Vincent Jacquier, Pauline Saglio

During the service design course, the 3rd year of the Graphic Design, Photography and Media & Interaction Design bachelor's degree programs realized multi-media projects. A collaboration of the Visual Communication department with the theme of SDGs (*Sustainable Development Goals). The theme named "For a good cause, make the SDGS a reality" aims to develop a cause close to the heart of the different student groups. Each project is composed of at least two different supports, one primary and one secondary. The projects could therefore take any form the students deemed relevant, be it a website, editions and posters, a video sequence, or even virtual reality.

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Analog Medium Format Workshop

with Anoush Abrar

For this week's "sitter" theme, first-year photography students were asked to imagine a medium-format analog portrait. The term "sitter" was historically used in photography to designate the person posing for a portrait. This use dates back to the early days of photography, when long exposure times were necessary and subjects had to remain motionless for extended periods. The term reflected the idea that the person had to sit or hold a pose for the duration of the exposure. Now, as photography technology has evolved and exposure times have become shorter, the term "model" or "subject" has become more commonly used, reflecting a wider range of poses and activities beyond simply sitting.

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Photographie et arts plastiques

with Natacha Lesueur

Based on projects developed around the theme "Trompe L'oeil and Simulacra", the students developed a personal and in-depth work over an entire semester.

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Workshop with Alba Zari

with Alba Zari

This workshop offers participants a unique opportunity to delve into narratives through the lens of imagery and memory. Initially, they will engage with an archive of images, selecting a story from the past to dissect visually. This analytical phase sets the stage for a more personal exploration as participants transition to the next stage, where they will replace a character in the archive with themselves through self-portraiture. Central to the workshop is an interrogation of the medium of photography and the concept of the archive. Through guided discussions, participants will come to understand photography not just as a means of capturing moments but also as a form of witness to history. They will explore their roles as both collectors and editors of images, reflecting on the nuances of image production and consumption. Utilizing personal archives as a springboard for creativity and reflection, participants will gain insight into the complexities of visual storytelling. By examining images analytically and conceptually, they will develop a deeper understanding of their role in shaping narratives. Ultimately, the workshop aims to empower participants to create their own stories, fostering a deeper connection to both the past and their own identities through the powerful tool of photography.

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ECAL × JEAN PAUL GAULTIER: Under Your Smell

with Milo Keller, Florence Tétier, Nicolas Coulomb, Calypso Mahieu

The exhibition Under Your Smell offers a hypnotic and immersive experience in Jean Paul Gaultier's headquarters by imagining new definitions of beauty and body expression. Under the direction of Florence Tétier and Nicolas Coulomb, 3rd year Bachelor Photography students brought to life the brand's iconic perfumes through an immersive photographic experience. In the first season, with the complicity of Claude Emmanuelle Gajan Maull, the young photographers have fluidified the iconic bottles with their gendered silhouettes — Le Mâle, Le Classique, Le Beau and La Belle — in a fresh LGBTQIA+ perspective. With this upcoming season, the project evolves around the Scandal fragrance, with the creation of still lives in which the liquid, dry and organic contrasting textures evoke the essence of the perfume, its bottle design and its complexities. Through staging, the perfumes become the backdrop for stories of transgression and fantastical projections. In addition to monumental fabric prints, giant image-cushions welcome the public to lay down and celebrate gender fluidity and the ever changing definitions of beauty and self expression.

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Yann Difford – Is it a mirage or an oasis?

by Yann Difford

“Exoticism stems from what is distant and unfamiliar, but above all from a point of view. This project questions the desire for exoticism, the way it is expressed and unfolded, in a generally unidirectional Western context; i.e. from the West to the rest of the globe. This reconsideration helps us grasp that this is not a state of affairs, but rather a process of exoticisation. I deconstruct this process by decontextualising and recontextualising exotic symbols.“