Le Royaume

Le Royaume is the portrait of an imaginary community. The blue, grey or black mud anonymises the bodies and faces, presenting themselves as a second skin, ancestral sediments that protect them but also freeze them in a role. This blue mud is a mask for everyone, releasing postures and grins that are as violent as they are tender. The mysterious gestures of these bodies tell the story of a life on the fringes of a Kingdom without images, out of focus, to be invented by each individual. Their consistency is reminiscent of the stunned and enveloped body, and speaks to us of the incessant struggle to inhabit the world.

Le Royaume is a series of photographs taken between 2017 and 2020 during two separate events: a sporting event called Le Mud Day in France and the Bloco Da Lama in Paraty (Brazil) during Carnival. Each year in France, thousands of participants come together for a festive course punctuated by challenges in the silt, and re-enact the exit of men from prehistoric caves in Brazil.