This summer, Les Deux Girafes welcomes an exhibition by photographer Corentin Lespagnol, offering visitors a unique artistic interlude in the heart of Paris’s 11th arrondissement. Staying true to its commitment to contemporary creation, the hotel presents a new encounter between art, perspective, and territory through a photographic series that is both thought-provoking and captivating.
Originally presented as part of the Gaume Images Festival (GIF), the exhibition was born from an artistic residency in Gaume, a region in southern Belgium. Invited to explore this unfamiliar territory, Corentin Lespagnol developed an approach that combines documentary observation with a deeply personal interpretation of the landscape.
An Artist’s Perspective on Place
Born in Rennes in 1978 and trained as an architect at the National School of Architecture of Brittany, Corentin Lespagnol quickly turned his attention to visual representation and image-making. A self-taught photographer, he has spent several years developing a body of work focused on the relationship between people and their environment.
His practice involves observing traces, forms, objects, and landscapes that shape our everyday surroundings in order to reveal a deeper reading of reality. Through his photographs, he seeks what he describes as “the hidden order of things” a poetic, fragile, and often invisible dimension of the world around us.
His work has been exhibited at Galerie La Ferronnerie in Paris, the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, and numerous international photography festivals. Throughout his career, Lespagnol has developed a visual language in which documentary observation gradually becomes material for fiction.
Between Reality and Ambiguity
For this series created in Gaume, the artist focuses on elements that define the territory: water, forests, heritage, and traces of human activity. Yet rather than producing a straightforward visual record, he deliberately introduces uncertainty.
At first glance, the photographs appear familiar and documentary in nature. However, subtle details, unexpected compositions, and unusual atmospheres create a sense of ambiguity. The viewer is encouraged to question what is being seen and to reconsider their relationship with reality.
This tension between observation and interpretation lies at the heart of the project. Each image becomes an invitation to construct a personal narrative shaped by individual memories, references, and perceptions.
A Carefully Crafted Visual Language
To reinforce the coherence of the series, Corentin Lespagnol worked with a single focal length, consistent lighting, and a uniform format. This deliberate approach allows viewers to focus entirely on the content of the images and the stories they suggest.
The exhibition unfolds as a collection of visual fragments that gradually build a subjective portrait of the territory explored. The result is a body of work that is contemplative, rigorous, and distinctly contemporary.
Where Art Meets Hospitality
Presented within the warm and creative atmosphere of Les Deux Girafes, the exhibition finds an ideal setting. Away from the traditional gallery environment, visitors are invited to experience photography in an intimate space where art naturally becomes part of the stay.
Through the work of Corentin Lespagnol, Les Deux Girafes continues its commitment to fostering dialogue between contemporary creation, curiosity, and new ways of seeing the world. An inspiring opportunity to discover a photographic project that encourages us to slow down, observe, and look at reality from a different perspective.
Commissariat : Jean-Michel Jagot
Partenaire : CCRT ( centre culturel de Rossignol - Tintigny)
******
More informations :
- @francois_ferrie
Hotel Les Deux Girafes, a 4-star boutique hotel in the heart of the Bastille-République district
