MÄNK’ÁČEN - Sergio Valenzuela-Escobedo

The project In 1840, the first camera landed in South America, but the ship sank on the way back. In 1882, another mission arrived in Tierra del Fuego to photograph the transit of Venus in front of the Sun. They also met its inhabitants. This is the starting point of a Western history of the perception of these indigenous peoples. But here this book offers a new perspective, making us explore these images and these ethnographic collections in the light of a decolonisation. It's also a story of reappropriation of one's own history and image. This work, created after PhD in photography, unfolds in a long strip of 5 meters, mixing archives and contemporary images, bringing out a new perspective on photographic mechanics, mysticism and superstition among the native peoples of South America. The author Sergio Valenzuela-Escobedo, born in 1983, is a research artist and works as an independent curator. He also completed a PhD at the Ecole nationale supérieure de la photographie d'Arles (ENSP) in 2021. Since 2005, he has designed and curated art exhibitions in Chile and Europe, including Mapuche: Journey to Lafkenche Land at the Musée de l'Homme in Paris, Monsanto: A Photographic Investigation at the Rencontres d'Arles and on tour for the past five years under his permanent supervision, and Geometric Forests. Struggles in Mapuche Territory at the Rencontres d'Arles 2022. He is currently exhibiting his research at NŌUA in Norway, thanks to the Curators Residence Support from the Arts Council Norway. Palais Books Founded in Arles in 2021, under the impulse of Yann Linsart and Delphine Manjard, represented by the Librairie du Palais, Palais Books seeks to promote photographic works with contemporary issues and in which the relationship to the archive holds an important place. Their first book Desiderea Nuncia by SMITH, Lucien Raphmaj and Diplomates was published in July 2021, and won the Prix du Livre Photo-Texte at the Rencontres d'Arles 2022. Their next two books, Inner, Outer, Paintings, Friends by Lukas Panek and Unclassified by Yann Linsart were released in October 2021. MÄNK'ÁČEN by Sergio Valenzuela-Escobedo would be their fourth book and should see the light of day, thanks to you, in October 2022. The book Cover on 500g graphic card Interior on Fedrigoni Arena Natural Smooth 200g paper Leporello in 20 parts, 40 pages Closed format 25 x 34cm Format unfolded 5m x 34cm Four-colour printing + UV on one side, text in black only on the other side. This project is also supported by NOUA, Womxn don't really faint and Double Dummy