JUST MY LUCK, livre photo / photobook

It is said that money does not make you happy. So what drives so many people to play lottery games regularly? And what does really happen in the lives of the winners and the people around them? The book Just My Luck, published by The Eriskay Connection, intends to confront the dream with reality by giving voice to those who have touched or come close to touching the jackpot, for better and/or for worse. Their testimonies tell the story of our society, its aspirations, its beliefs and its relationship with money. Since the dawn of time, people have dreamed of the small miracle that could change their lives. The invention of lottery games turned pure fantasy into the realm of possibility. By simply betting on the right numbers, all our dreams could come true. Intrigued by the real consequences that such an upheaval can have on the lives of players, we went to meet those who have experienced it. Far from the glitter, the stories we heard all seemed inextricably linked to the notions of fortune and misfortune. As if believing in one meant risking activation of the other. After a meticulous research, we met Serkan, the newsagent who had to close his store after a street sweeper won 168.000.000 euros in his shop. But also Paul, who saw his winnings evaporated because of a technical incident. We met Ahmed who was unjustly accused of forging his winning ticket and was sentenced to a year in jail. We met Juliette who, despite winning a million, continued to work behind her bar... Halfway between artistic and sociological work, Just My Luck contains only first-hand testimonies, in order to emphasize the human stories behind the catchy headlines that the tabloid press is so fond of. The book also contains an exclusive afterword by Monique Pinçon-Charlot. WHO ARE WE ? Katherine Longly : I am a photographer and visual artist, I live in Brussels. I have degrees in photography, communication and anthropology. My projects take life in an (anthropological) question, behind which often lies the desire to understand a social phenomenon. I attach a lot of importance to the human aspect in my projects, from which humor is never excluded. «Just My Luck» is my third book. My first two books « To tell my real intentions, I only want to eat haze like a hermit « and « Hernie & Plume « (already published with The Eriskay Connection) are now out of print. Cécile Hupin: I studied theater at IAD and stage design at La Cambre. After my studies, I worked as a set designer for theater and created many performance and installation projects. Recently I started writing (short stories, theater, novel) which has become my main activity. Coming from the world of theater, I consider writing as a material to perpetuate the transmission of important narratives and create impactful images. I like to work on the basis of true stories while transposing them into my personal artistic universe. Katherine and Cécile share a strong taste for investigative work and human encounters. Together, they create hybrid projects, which report with tenderness and humor on extra-ordinary and fiercely revealing realities of the world we live in. OUR PUBLISHER : The Eriskay Connection is an independent art book publisher based in the Netherlands. It publishes books of high quality; each object is unique. The format, the design, the cover, the binding, the selection of papers, everything is thought out in dialogue with the artists and in support of the subject and the narrative developed. The Eriskay Connection strives to work with local providers for the production of its editions. The publishing house also makes a point of promoting its titles and supporting its authors by distributing their books worldwide and by participating in numerous specialized events (Les Rencontres de la photographie d’Arles, Tokyo art book fair, Polycopies in Paris, New York art book fair, Unseen Amsterdam etc.). CONTENT AND SHAPE OF THE BOOK This is not (really) a photography book. As we researched, sometimes borrowing some tools from a journalistic approach, we collected clues and evidence that would support the narrration of the incredible stories we wanted to tell. The book includes not only photographs, but also stories, interviews, letters and messages, conversations, press clips and tabloid headlines, television archives screenshots, court files, portraits, details of scratch cards, ... ...A rich narration built like an investigation that the reader will be able to carry out himself throughout the pages. SPECIFICAL TECHNIFICATIONS LANGAGE : English NUMBER OF COPIES : 1.000 VOLUME : 544 pp. in 4 pp. Softcover SIZE : 160 X 120 mm (oblong) PAPIER (INSIDE)  : Munken Print White 90 g/m2 PAPIER (COVER) : Majestic Gold 250 g/m2 PRINT (INSIDE) : black + fluor yellow + first and last 16 pages 4/4 (black + fluor CMY) PRINT (COVER) : black + circle w/ scratch ticket effect EVENTS AROUND THE BOOK : 22.09.2023 : Exclusive book release event for our crowdfunders at Brasserie de la Senne. 01.10.2023 : Opening of the JUST MY LUCK exhibition at Théâtre de Liège + official release of the book (exhibition accessible until 21.10.2023) 03.10.2023 : Brussels book release at Tipi bookshop 10.2023 : Book release at Reminders Photography Stronghold, Tokyo 23 – 26.10.2023 : Book signing at Tokyo Art Book fair Mid-December 2023 > mid-January 2024 : Exhibition Tram{e} bookshop 12.03 > 19.04.2024 : Exhibition at Malraux Centre in Nancy + sale of the book 14.05 > 10.06.2024 : Exhibition at the Post Bookshop in Tokyo + sale of the book REWARDS : The book, signed + 1 drink at the special book launch at Brasserie de la Senne > 31 € The signed book + a pack of homemade Fortune cookies (with original predictions that will guide you in your future choices!) > 45 € The signed book + an anthentic framed 4-leaf clover > 50 € One signed book for you, another one as a gift > 62 € The signed book + a framed ex-voto (unique handmade pieces, made from details of real scratch tickets, so may luck be always on your side! cfr. photo below) > 120 € The signed book + a 2m X 2m original scratch ticket fresco (cfr. sample photo below) > 1.500 € Thank you very much for your support !