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iFormer bricks and tiles factory, Gannes.
Part of the work: Paysages et patrimoines industriels.
© Jean-Pierre Gilson.

In France, a new photographic festival is born with the aim of re-observing the world of manufacturing and enterprises and, at the same time, of laying the foundations for the ambitious plan of raising people’s awareness on industrial heritage

Usimages is the first French photographic event to focus on industrial photography. It could sound strange but despite our neighbours’ creativity, organisational skills and their big presence in the management of our Foto/Industria (1), this is the first event of its kind that has ever been organised in France.
Unlike Foto/Industria, Usimages is however strictly linked to the local dimension. It is in fact organised by CAC (Communauté de l’Agglomération Creilloise) in collaboration with Diaphane - Pôle photographique en Picardie, and will take place between the 3rd of April and the 31st of May 2015 in the region of Oise in Picardie and will involve all councils that are part of CAC. For this reason, the event has been subtitled «a photographic itinerary across our territory» and in particular, the towns adhering to it are Creil, Montataire, Nogent-sur-Oise and Villers-Saint-Paul, and also Saint-Maximin, a nearby town not part of CAC.
The objective of the event is to re-examine the sector of manufacturing and enterprises through sixteen exhibitions showing archive pictures and works of contemporary artists and exploring five different themes: The representation of industry in the history of photography, The traces of industrial heritage in the landscape, Industrial architecture, Man at work, Artists managing enterprises.
In addition, Usimages is planning to raise awareness on the industrial heritage through the organisation of guided tours, which will last for the entire duration of the event, and the set up of practical photography workshops in various schools in the region. The best results of which will be exposed in the exhibitions at the festival.
This event aims to involve visitors on a journey throughout both current and past industrial photography and also throughout the territory, not very well known outside France, that has been characterised in the past by a strong secondary sector.
According to the organisers, the images are decontextualised, deprived of their original function and vocation in order to make people question the evolution of the industrial world and its architecture and wonder about the transformations this industrialisation brought on the landscape. Manufacturing and enterprises exist thanks to the work of men and women, thanks to those strengths and values that constitute a territory, its heritage, past and future. It is a story that is worth seeing, remembering and understanding.

[ The Editorial Staff ]


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(1) - Foto/Industria is the first biennial in the world to focus entirely on industrial photography. It was organised for the first time two years ago in Bologna by MAST together with Les Rancontres de la Photographie di Arles. The artistic director of the event was François Hébel, the historical artistic director of Les Rencontres. The second edition will take place this year, from October, 2nd to November, 1st.

iOld sugar factory, Francières.
Part of the work: Paysages et patrimoines industriels.
© Jean-Pierre Gilson.

iUsinor Trith.
Part of the work: Usinor Trith à Trith-Saint-Léger. 1948-1958 – Une grande usine vue par son photographe Roland Lacoste
© Roland Lacoste, collection CRP - Douchy-les-Mines.

iUsinor Trith.
Part of the work: Usinor Trith à Trith-Saint-Léger. 1948-1958 – Une grande usine vue par son photographe Roland Lacoste.
© Roland Lacoste, collection CRP - Douchy-les-Mines.
THE FESTIVAL

USIMAGES – Un parcours photographique à travers nostre territoire
curatorship and organisation: Diaphane - Pôle photographique en Picardie
artistic direction: Fred Boucher and Adriana Wattel
4 April – 31 May 2015

Various Locations
the exhibitions will be set up in the towns of Creil, Nogent-sur-Oise, Montataire and Villers-Saint-Paul, all part of the CAC territory (Communauté de l'Agglomération Creilloise), and also in the close Saint-Maximin
www.diaphane.org

Opening Hours: the timetable will depend on exhibitions and locations
Admission fee: Free entry



The map of all expository locations involved in the schedule of Usimages 2015 and spread across the CAC territory.

iThe chimneystack of the Mascara factory and the chimneystack of Saint Maclou factory as viewed from street d'Alger.
Part of the work: Signal Industriel – La cheminée d’usine, signal identitaire dans les paysages de l’Avesnois et de Lille-Roubaix-Tourcoing, 2013.
© Xavier Anoinet et Arthur Mettetal, Anachronique Symposium Comittee, 2013.

iThe chimneystack of the Louis Lepoutre factory, as viewed from the lane on Pierre Curie road.
Part of the work: Signal Industriel – La cheminée d’usine, signal identitaire dans les paysages de l’Avesnois et de Lille-Roubaix-Tourcoing, 2013.
© Xavier Anoinet et Arthur Mettetal, Anachronique Symposium Comittee, 2013.

iSaint Epin Plant, as viewed from the bank of the river, 1866.
Part of the exhibition: De la mise en scène de l’industrie triomphante à la désindustrialisation.
© A.H Collard, Fonds Association Les Amis du patrimoine de Ballagny.

iControl Centre, Beznau Nuclear Plant, Döttingen, Switzerland.
Part of the work: Space and energy.
© Luca Zanier, 2011.

iInternal view of the main spectrometer, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Part of the work: Space and energy.
© Luca Zanier, 2011.

The authors at the exhibition - Xavier Antoinet & Arthur Mettetal, Sylvain Bonniol, Arnaud Chambon, François Deladerrière, Vincent Fournier, Jean-Pierre Gilson, Nicolas Havette, Roland Lacoste, Bart Sorgedrager, Luca Zanier.
The pictures taken from the participating authors are shown together with pictures from the photographic archives of Archives départementales de l’Oise, of Musée Gallé-Juillet, Musée du Creusot, Centre historique minier de Lewarde and from the Fonds Paul Martial du Musée de Saint-Etienne.

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