SCRAPBOOKS – Dans l’imaginaire des cineastes by Matthieu Orlean, NE M’OUBLIE PAS Belsunce, Marseille 1965-1980, EXPO54 a book about Agnès Varda’at ARLES 2023 – July 3 – September 24th

Dear Shaded Viewers,

I know it is a bit early but I want you to be aware of Matthieu Orlean’s Exhibition and book launch at the Rencontres d’Arles, at the Van Gogh space, from July to September 2023. “Dan l’imaginaire des cinéastes” is a French phrase that translates to “in the imagination of filmmakers.” The scrapbook is born out of idleness, doubt, and a search for meaning. Never from a commission. The Scrapbook by Orlean is an outlet for creativity and self-exploration. It is a form of “poor art” that is unconstrained by rules or expectations, allowing only the creator’s vision of the world to take center stage.

Matthieu Orlean, the Artistic Adviser in Charge of Temporary Exhibitions at La Cinémathèque Française is known for curating a number of notable exhibitions since 2004. Notably he curated the exhibitions Almodovar Exhibition! (2006), “Dennis Hopper and the New Hollywood” (2008), Le Mode enchante de Jacques Demy (2013), “Gus Van Sant Icons” (2016), Vampires (2019), Top Secret: Cinema & Espionage (2022) as well as various exhibitions at the Rencontres de la photographie d’Arles and at the Gaite Lyrique, Scenede l’Opera de Paris and many more.

The scrapbook has a rich history, drawing on Anglo-Saxon practices that combine photo albums and diaries. It can include a range of materials, from photographs and drawings to stamps, postcards, and press clippings. The collage possibilities it offers have inspired many artists to create new worlds within its pages, including avant-garde filmmakers like Derek Jarman, Agnès Varda, and Chris Marker.

This book showcases beautiful scrapbooks of filmmakers who reveal their multifaceted creative processes, offering a glimpse into the origins of their films through private documents. The book and exhibition focus on radical artists who push the boundaries of auto-fiction. The scrapbook is crucial to understanding the past and future of films and serves as a fundamental link to understanding contemporary image circulation, survival, and apotheosis.

Orlean’s The Scrapbook is a testament to his passion for cinema and the visual arts. He has been writing about film since 1998 and has authored books on filmmakers like Chantal Akerman and Paul Vecchiali. His interest in the scrapbook is evident in his book, which showcases some of the most beautiful scrapbooks created by filmmakers. Overall, Orlean’s contributions to the world of cinema and art continue to inspire and inform audiences worldwide.

Matthieu Orléan
Parution : 29/06/2023
Prix: 55 €
Format : 23 × 27 cm
Pages : 240
EAN : 979-10-95821-61-8
Exposition aux Rencontres d’Arles, à l’espace Van Gogh, de juillet
à septembre 2023

The book “NE M’OUBLIE PAS Belsunce, Marseille 1965-1980” is a tribute to the migrant population in Marseille’s Belsunce district. The author Jean-Marie Donat discovered a unique collection of photos taken at a photo studio that included identity, studio, and family photos of North and West African migrants in transit in Marseille. The book features a rich iconography that blurs the boundary between public and private and compares photos from the migrants’ country of origin and those taken in France for their relatives. Jean-Marie Donat, a publisher and collector of photography, has been building up his photographic corpus since the 1980s, with a unique reading of the 20th century. “EXPO54” is a book about Agnès Varda’s first solo exhibition and her first film, “La Pointe courte,” partly conceived through her photographs. In June 1954, she presented a selection of portraits, nudes, and still lifes in her courtyard, featuring her street and neighbors, including Alexander Calder, Hans Hartung, and Brassaï. Her love of words and humour is apparent in the book.