Le défi de la vie
02.06.2023 - 25.08.2023
A Message of Hope
This innovative proposal by photographer Polo Picart invites us to take a different look at a disease that countless women face yearly: breast cancer.
The photographs that make up this project are the result of work carried out with Karine Dahouindji, who, at the age of 29, saw her life affected by this disease. Only six months after her diagnosis, in April 2021, these photographs were taken in Geneva, in which, through dance, this young and talented dancer gives her testimony as a combative woman. The precision and expressiveness of her body language give each image a powerful impact.
This project aims to reach beyond the purely artistic sphere and to bring a message of hope, particularly to those suffering from this disease and their loved ones, since it is essential to have the mental strength to overcome their anxieties and face this challenge.
The Fragility of Life
Photography allows the possibility to stop the movement and capture moments of great emotion. The suspended images of this profound choreography present a similarity to what happens when death is shown up close. Priorities change, everything stops. The notion of time changes and the perception of movement slows down.
The photographic shots strive for simplicity, particularly in lighting and staging, without adding anything that could distract from the intention of the message: to create an atmosphere of depth, silence, and sobriety. It is the goal to keep the unity of the whole, with precise, sharp shadows and lighting to capture all the emotion and strength that emanated from this dance.
In this choreography, whose movements are based on contemporary dance, free dance, and even African dances, we discover the internal struggle, acceptance, and, finally, liberation. The body manifests itself with its own language, opening, closing, and adopting postures in synchrony with the emotions, generally unconscious.
With grace and elegance, Karine has perfectly expressed the transformation she was confronted with and shows us all the beauty of her art. This is the testimony of a dancer who assumes her destiny with exceptional courage and shows us the beauty and power of femininity in the spirit of a warrior.
