Interviews

The Eyes Artist Talk Paris Photo 2022 (FR)

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THE ARTIST TALKS BY THE EYES 2022

Conçus et animés depuis 2016 par l’équipe de The Eyes en collaboration avec Paris Photo. Les Artist Talks by The Eyes mettent en perspective la relation de l’artiste avec le livre dans sa pratique artistique, son approche et sa réalisation éditoriale.

La programmation des Artist Talks by The Eyes est réalisée et animée par Emilie Lauriola, librairie spécialisée en photographie,  Marc Feustel, auteur et commissaire indépendant, Pascale Obolo, Commissaire d’exposition indépendante, Directrice de l’African Art Book Fair et Véronique Prugnaud, Co-directrice de The Eyes.

VOIR LE REPLAY DE JULIA GAT – ACTES SUD 

Feature x This Pandemic Thing: "Siblings" short-film 2020

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Julia Gat
Lydia Rump

Mars, Snickers and then Twix...
August 10, 2020

In collaboration with French designer Lydia Rump, the short-film 'Siblings' tells the story of four brothers and sisters. Showcasing the pure, genderless collection 'Autoportrait', each character’s individuality is revealed through daily-life banalities. This context allows the very meaning of adolescence to unfold, highlighting the eagerness and decisiveness which comes with it. Julia Gat is an Israel-born, France-based photographer and filmmaker. Her work explores human interaction in its purest form, standing in-between fashion, documentary, music and dance. In 2017, Gat has been nominated as finalist for the Parisian TV show 'Photo Talent Academy' about emerging fashion photographers. Her short film, ‘DUO’ (2019), questions the form of duet through contemporary dance and dialogue. This work in association with Emanuel Gat Dance was shot at the Palais Royal in Paris and premiered at SF Dance Film Festival in November 2019. Gat is currently studying at the School of Visual Arts in New York and the Willem de Kooning Academy in the Netherlands. Starring Nina, Michael, Jonathan, and Sara Gat (+ Ringo the dog) Directed, written, shot and edited by Julia Gat Clothes design by Lydia Rump Make up and hair by Nina Gat Music: "Siblings" Composed and arranged by Nina Gat Performed by Nina Gat, Laure Sanchez, Nicolas Fleury, Arthur Heurtebise Mixed and mastered by Michael Gat Big thanks to Alexa Wynter, Yifat and Emanuel Gat Made as part of the class Advanced Video: Fashion Film, BFA Photo & Video 2020, School of Visual Arts, New York

Julia:


I was wondering when we would all be together again. It has become so rare for all of us to be home at once, for more than a few days. Yet suddenly, out of nowhere, we are all here: 5 siblings, 2 parents, 7 cats and a dog. It felt like a time traveling tunnel, bringing us ten years back. The old jokes, habits of interaction and group dynamics felt familiar and reassuring—a family recharging its batteries.

My camera was redirected at my four younger siblings: Nina (20), Michael (18), Jonathan (15), and Sara (13), who used to be my primary models when I was starting out with photography. For as long as I can remember, I would observe and document our daily banalities. And once again, during lockdown: from mid-March till mid-May, we only went out for groceries, jogging and walking our dog Ringo.

Screenshot 2020-08-10 at 17.24.48.png

The sibling group bubble not only came back, but became our main occupation. We opened up the archive and looked at stills and videos we’ve made in the past years. As children, we used to film each other as a form of game–we would pretend to be journalists on news shows, sellers making ads for random products or musicians in music videos.

We grew up with an informal learning philosophy, as opposed to the traditional school system. My siblings have been my primary subjects in terms of human interaction, especially during those in-between moments of daily life. The conversation about the candy bars came up at the beginning of the lockdown. We had just finished a marathon of Tarantino films and the opening scene of Reservoir Dogs got stuck in my head—a group of characters, sitting around a table, talking about insignificant topics. I liked this indirect way of unfolding personalities and, subsequently, based my new short film around it.

Parallel to my interest in group dynamics, I have also been working on a visual research about androgyny and its complex interrelationship between gender and sexuality, something that often arises throughout adolescence. While gender and sexual expression are commonly explored in today’s art and media fields, this project aims to shed light on the visual aspect of the androgynous look, where it is possible to mix masculine and feminine attributes. With Lydia’s input and using her costumes, it became a visual examination celebrating the positive abstraction and freedom of genderless expression.

 

Lydia:


I met Julia when she was a young girl. I watched her grow up and mature as a photographer. Through unschooling her parents encouraged all of their children to explore the world, develop their curiosity and potential. It’s always a great pleasure when our two families get together. We share the same outlook on life.

I was working on my collection of dresses when Julia told me she was looking for some outfits for her short film. I have wanted to create a universal collection for a while. I work with monochromatic shades of white. For me, this is symbolic of a blank page—the beginning. This pure surface allows me to add some patterns and colors: stitches of black thread, sewn by hand or some embroidered black lines. I developed a palette of materials and techniques: patchwork, fringes, knitting, and embroidery.

I have known these kids for a long time. In their choice of outfits, each sibling reveals his or her personality.

The outfit with fringes is a mix of a short dress with textile pieces. It was put together by Nina herself. She saw herself as a bird-woman. The one worn by Michael is a short dress with long sleeves; the cuffs are knitted. He wears it like a sweatshirt. His style is cool and hip and he gives it a genderless vibe. Another ensemble is a combination of two patchworks which Jonathan drapes over his shoulders. On his face he wears a mask—a piece I created during the lockdown. He looks like a modern-day warrior. The white dress with lines embroidered in black beads is worn by Sara. I wonder if she chose this pattern to match her dog?

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Mathilde Odilia Interviews #1: "upbringing"

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Super excited to share with you this raw new interview with Mathilde Odilia about my new series, Upbringing, recently exhibited at Fotofestival Schiedam (NL) in 2018 and Villa Dutoit, Geneva (CH) in 2019.

“Interview #1 from Mathilde Odilia explores one of the newest projects of photographer/filmmaker Julia Gat, called "Upbringing". In this photographic series, Julia photographed Montessori Elementary School De Korg in Rotterdam (NL), aiming to cast light on alternative forms of education. In this interview, she talks more about her own upbringing, homeschooling, and the content of the images themselves.”