Collection of images taken in the XIV District of Paris, Santé Prison. June - August 2023.
I lived in a bedroom that had a single window overlooking the temporary prisoners of Santé Prison. It is one of the most famous prisons in France, with wings for VIP and maximum-security prisoners. For 5 weeks, I had a unique life experience: having incarcerated neighbors. I could see and hear them daily. One day, after visiting an exhibition by the photographer Elliot Erwitt, I felt inspired to take some photographs of them. I saw the three of them conversing by the window, and the image seemed worthy of capturing. So, I took my camera, approached them, introduced myself as an artist, and asked if I could take some photos of them. They laughed, said yes, and posed. After this event, we greeted each other and talked daily, just as I would with any neighbor.
These images were taken with a 50mm lens on a DSLR camera.
In addition to taking photographs of them, I took some self-portraits. I had the need and the impulse to photograph myself to capture the moment I was living. I went to Europe alone for 3 months. I stayed in this room that a family member lent me for 5 weeks, and then for the remaining weeks, I stayed in hostels in the different cities I visited.
It was the first time I traveled alone for such a long time, so far from home. It was the first time I had incarcerated neighbors. A unique experience. A moment in my life that brought about a change. So many doubts, so many difficulties, so many issues to resolve, and the self-portrait serves as a way to preserve that moment for a lifetime. A journey this long, alone, at the age of 22. It's not something I will experience again.
© Luisa Leborgne
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