Oh Man. Photo by Lise Sarfati

The exhibition – an unrelease project by French artist Lise Sarfati – is curated by Francesco Zanot and it includes a series of about twenty photographs taken in downtown Los Angeles, California, between 2012 and 2013.
The main subjects are isolated men in the urban context. They are not doing anything of importance. Most of the times they are walking. Or they are at a break in the movement. Nevertheless, their presence is evident. Full of energy. Powerful. Regardless of their placing within the picture, they have the leading role. In some sort of update of the humanistic tradition, Lise Sarfati removes any narrative clue and heroic tension from her imagery, giving free rein to the pure appearance in space of a series of individuals.
Deprived of the momentum of a purpose, and without a clear direction, the main characters of this artwork are wandering relentlessly. Unaware of being photographed, they appear to be in precarious positions, while, on the other hand, Lise Sarfati stands steadily in front of them, waiting for days on end for the best moment to take her pictures. The result is a silent dialogue unravelling in front of the spectator and it regulates the transition from the indifference of the representation to the participation of the onlooker.
The only set of this encounter is the city. It takes up the entire surface of every picture, from right to left, from the bottom to the top. The sky – when it makes an appearance – is reduced to a slim geometric cut out in between buildings. Cobalt blue. Typically American for its continuous alternation between brick buildings, patched up tar, metallic grids, and shop signs, the metropolis provides the fixed rhythmic backdrop to the unpredictable actions of men, scattered hither and yon like notes on sheet music. The time of the day is marked by the sudden light of the American West. Clear and violent in the mid hours of the day, it triggers a scene that – a few kilometres from the Hollywood stars – happens all day every day.
This collateral exhibition is part of a long-term journey of CAMERA that wants to bring international experiences in Italy, in order to spark a creative exchange with the Italian scene and to continue a research effort for making this Centre a polestar of photography in the contemporary artistic scene.

Vai alla guida d'arte di Turin