Four Magnum Photographers Interpret the Theme “Connection”

What springs to mind when you hear the word “connection” in relation to photography? Is it the possible connection between photographer and subject, or subject and viewer? In an exhibition coordinated by Fujifilm, Magnum photographers Carolyn Drake, Lúa Ribeira, Lorenzo Meloni and Peter van Agtmael were each invited to make a new series around the word “connection,” an open-ended invitation to explore the theme following their instinct. Curated by Philipp Ebeling, the exhibition now delves into the four resulting bodies of work. 

The collaboration between Magnum and Fujifilm marks a new chapter in their long-standing relationship, which began in 2018 with the Home project, and has since flourished across various regions in the world, spanning exclusive commissions to educational workshops — and this year, the Magnum Annual General Meeting.

The four resulting projects, all shot on Fujifilm’s GFX100 II, are, visually speaking, vastly different, with each photographer exploring different approaches and visions, as is immediately apparent upon walking into the exhibition found at Galerie Arena in Arles (open from July 1 to August 25). But on closer look, themes of playfulness and provocation seep into each, and subject matter across projects, despite their differences, remains deeply personal.

Opening the exhibition is Carolyn Drake. Self-connection is the avenue that she chose to pursue with her ongoing project Glorify Yourself. In a series of self-portraits, the photographer satirizes a “beauty and charm guide” for women, popular in the US during the 1940s and 50s. From how to diet to change their body type to how to sit or walk in an “attractive” manner, the book provides “advice” on all aspects of a woman’s life.

“The book provides insight into the universe of desires and delusions that gave rise to the world I inhabit,” Drake explained during an exhibition at the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in 2023. “With a mixture of satire and scorn, I began putting myself in the positions described in the book, exploring my relationship to its creed.”

In contrast, Lúa Ribeira’s connection is from the point of view of a new mother, with a new series titled “The Carers.” Ribeira decides to turn her lens on her newborn child, a common urge among new mothers. Shot within a five-minute walk from her home in Bristol, the images subvert traditional expectations of a typical “mother-baby” photograph by entrusting her baby to women she would bump into within the street. 

Ribeira’s practice often focuses more widely on the mechanisms of exclusion, seeking out parts of society or community that are often either heavily shielded from the public eye or commonly misrepresented. Creating connection with the people that she photographs is essential in creating enough ease for her to experiment with themes of theatricality and playfulness. “The images question her role as a mother and her own natural instinct to shield her baby from strangers,” writes Ebeling.

Meanwhile, over in France, Meloni blurs the boundaries between the natural and the artificial with his series, “Revelations.” The new series, which marks a turning point in Meloni’s practice to date, explores the impact of the unsustainable practices that result in ecological degradation and damage, as well as some of the research and technologies being tested as potential solutions.

Eerie and humbling in the face of nature, his images portray abandoned establishments and rural landscapes, often pointing toward how man-made structures and nature connect and cohabit the same spaces. “‘Revelation’ originated from the Greek word ‘apokàlypsis,’ which literally means to unveil, so the project aims to lift the veil on places generally inaccessible to citizens and landscapes that we often neglect to observe critically in our daily lives,” Meloni describes. 

“Photography, with its still and silent nature, can prompt us to rethink current trajectories and re-engage with the complexities of our world,” he adds.

And finally, after spending over two decades documenting the USA. and war in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Peter van Agtmael decided to embark on a new body of work in France, having permanently moved to the country only last year. More diaristic than his previous work covering conflict, social issues, warfare and its impact on society, this new chapter in his work captures themes of alienation and displacement, in juxtaposition to the sense of newness and self-discovery in a new country and marriage.

“Peter is finding himself in a new country, learning a new language with its attendant frustrations and absurdities, frantically traveling around between jobs, and trying to settle into his new life with his French wife, Isabelle,” writes Ebeling. “The display here distills van Agtmael’s varied way of working, with a central axis of images traveling from the personal to the documentary. Images constantly take flight from the straight line — a distracted thought or a sudden feeling.”

Connection to place, to the environment, to the self, and to the community are the four different kinds of projects explored in this project. Four unique projects at first glance, but what they each have in common, according to Ebeling, is that they each “use photographs as a tool to manifest personal truths,” rather than acting as an omniscient narrator. “They all know that it is no longer enough to simply take pictures,” he concludes.   

And during the opening week of the Rencontres d’Arles photo festival (July 1 to July 6), a program of events organized by Fujifilm and Magnum expand the theme “connection” to involve the general public, inviting visitors to the Fujikina space at the historic Hotel Quiqueran de Beaujeu.

In parallel, a number of talks with each of the photographers, and a guest appearance from Cristina de Middel, will be taking place each morning of that week — a chance to hear the photographer discuss their practice more widely. And, a series of free portfolio reviews for aspiring or practicing photographers will be held in partnership with the Magnum Learn team, again at the Fujikina space in the center of Arles.

View the full program of events organized by Fujifilm and Magnum here.