Marc Lathuilliere: Face Lost

"France Face Lost" by Marc Lathuilliere
February 02 - February 25, 2010

Marc Lathuilliere's exhibition entitled "France Face Lost" deals with French identity. It is the questioning of a visual artist looking at his homeland as if it wasn't. As if he was a tourist from fast moving Asia discovering the clichés and strangeness of a sleeping beauty named France.

Marc Lathuilliere first experienced this swing in perception in 2004, after extended stays in Asia, mostly in Thailand and South Korea. Coming back home, he realized how deeply French identity is anchored in the past, and the tremendous efforts French People devote to the preservation of its heritage. Through his "asianized" eyes, France now seemed estranged: he started to observe it with both wonder and worry.

To express these mixed feelings, he asked the French he met all over the country to wear a mask, always the same one, and then he took a portrait of them. An interactive game that froze them, shedding a new and doubtful light on their daily surroundings-architecture, sceneries, furniture… - , questioning the stereotypes on which we build our identities.

In five years, from Provence to Normandy, and from Bordeaux to Metz, more than four hundred people have already let him take their "de-faced" portrait.

Marc Lathuillière’s exhibition of photographs ‘’France Face Lost’’ opens at the Alliance Française Total Gallery on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, with cocktails at 6:30 pm. It will be on exhibit until February 25, 2010. Gallery days and hours:
Monday to Thursday, 9am to 6pm; Friday, 9am to 2pm; Saturday, 9am to 5pm; 
Closed on Sundays and Holidays.

Marc Lathuillière will hold a workshop at Silverlens Gallery on January 30 and February 6 followed by an artist’s talk to introduce his work and artistic approach. For more information about the workshop and the artist talk please contact Silverlens Gallery at 816 0044 or email Leonore Casuga at manage@silverlensphoto.com.

For high resolution images of the artworks and more details about the exhibit, kindly contact Mr. Stéphane Doutrelant (AFM Director) or Ms Sabrina Durand (Cultural Officer) at 895 7441 / 895 7585 or email sabrina@alliance.ph. You may visit the AFM website at www.alliance.ph or the artist’s site at www.lathuilliere.com.

This exhibition is organized with the support of the Embassy of France to the Philippines and Silverlens Gallery.