"Escapades" (Escape) : a photo exhibition at the Orangerie du Sénat

<p><strong>The project in 2 words:</strong></p> <p>I am pleased to announce that the French Senate has invited me to exhibit in its Orangery next July. Located in the Luxembourg Gardens, this place is the space in which I will present my photographic work to you, from July 16th to 27th.</p> <p>In total, you will be able to discover around fifty prints in this remarkable place.</p> <p><strong>The origins of the project</strong></p> <blockquote> <p>&quot;Lo Kee is a photographer whose favorite playground is light and shadow&quot;. Collector&#39;s words</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Who am I ?</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Born in 1989, I am a French photographer based in Paris.</p> <p>At the corner of my street or on the other side of the world, I search and capture chiaroscuro atmospheres. My work, exclusively in black and white, revolves around themes such as passage and absence.</p> <p>My minimalist and cinematographic style is similar to both humanist photographers of the last century (Robert Doisneau, Andr&eacute; Kert&eacute;sz ...), and more contemporary photographers (Michael Kenna).</p> <blockquote> <p>&quot;Lo Kee&#39;s work calls on us to be quiet. The appeasement of the sound of footsteps, the sound of the wind blowing through the dead leaves, the memory of the rustle of a passing garment.&quot; Collector&#39;s words.</p> </blockquote> <p>Other artists have also influenced my work such as:</p> <p>the photographers Josef Koudelka, Brassa&iuml;, Eug&egrave;ne Atget, Ray Metzker, Lee Friedlander, Stanley Kubrick, Berenice Abbott, Elliott Erwitt, Marc Riboud ...</p> <p>directors Tim Burton, Ridley Scott, Terry Gilliam, Terrence Mallick, Christopher Nolan, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Danny Boyle, Guillermo Del Toro, Joel and Ethan Coen ...</p> <p>and the painters Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Rubens, Delacroix, Vermeer ...</p> <blockquote> <p>&quot;When I see his pictures of Venice, I tell myself that Turner has a challenger.&quot; Collector&#39;s words.</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>My journey</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>My works have already been exhibited in France and abroad (Italy, Greece, Japan). Some of my photographs have given rise to publications and I have also received distinctions such as the Jean Larivi&egrave;re special mention, the ADAGP prize (financial support for an emerging photographer) or the Canon France Coup de C&oelig;ur.</p> <p>Finally, since 2019, I have chaired the photographic section of the Soci&eacute;t&eacute; Nationale des Beaux-Arts. A centuries-old association of artists, created in 1861 by, among others, Th&eacute;ophile Gautier, Eug&egrave;ne Delacroix and Auguste Rodin.</p> <blockquote> <p>&laquo;&nbsp;An artist to keep an eye on. We should buy him now before it gets too expensive.&quot; Collector&#39;s words.</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Starting point of the project</strong></p> <p>After contacts started in 2019, the cultural division of the Senate invited me to exhibit as part of its festival entitled <em>l&#39;Et&eacute; du Jardin du Luxembourg - Edition 2020.</em></p> <p>I had the pleasure of learning recently that my exhibition will be held from July 16th to 27th in the Orangery building.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>The project in detail</strong></p> <p><strong>An extraordinary place</strong></p> <p>A building 72 m long, 15 m wide and 14 m high;</p> <p>22 m long exhibition area;</p> <p>An average attendance of 1,000 people per day ...</p> <p>The place that will host my exhibition displays exceptional characteristics!</p> <p>It is as much a pleasure as a pride to exhibit at the Orangery, because of its tradition dating back almost 135 years.</p> <p>If almost everyone knows that this place serves as a shelter for garden plants during the winter, few know its vocation to welcome artists. This mission however began in 1886.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>A though challenge</strong></p> <p>Who says prestigious place, says prestigious exhibition.</p> <p>This exhibition could be seen as a sort of retrospective of my &quot;early years&quot;. Will be reviewed, my various trips and series on which I have worked over the past six years. In addition, my photos of Venice at the dawn of the first containment will be presented for the very first time.</p> <p>As usual, I will take great care in the quality of the prints and offer the best. My now classic aluminum prints and their natural wood frame will be there. Many of my collectors love them for their classic and modern appearance.</p> <p>All prints present will be signed and numbered.</p> <blockquote> <p>&quot;To own a photograph of Lo Kee is to feel a little joy with every glance.&quot; Collector&#39;s words.</p> </blockquote> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Some dates</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The public reception will be from July 16th to 27th, 2021.</p> <p>From 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., every day.</p> <p>In strict compliance with the sanitary rules at the time of exposure.</p> <p>A vernissage or a finishing will possibly be organized on a date which will be communicated later. The information will be specified on the crowdfunding page when the time comes.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>The counterparts : human and artistic values</strong></p> <blockquote> <p>&quot;Lo Kee is a very gentle man who expresses himself in his photographs but above all he is a talented photographer&quot;. Collector&#39;s words</p> </blockquote> <p>Because I have great respect for you and my work at the same time, I decided to offer value counterparts. So you will not find mugs and other calendars as counterparts. The prints offered are of the same quality as those present during my exhibitions.</p> <p>Because we are all behind computers or smartphones looking at photos on screens, communicating through chat, I wanted to offer you a unique experience. Wonder what I mean ? Go to the &quot;It&#39;s you on the photo&quot; counterpart to find out more.</p> <p>In the end, because I know that we do not all have the same purchasing power, but that we all have the right to access art, I have planned rewards adapted to all portfolios. If you can&#39;t donate even a euro, you might as well help me out by sharing my campaign with your loved ones !</p>