Ritual of the "Fountain of the Three Bishops in Lavaur." After a hiatus of several centuries, the bishops of Périgueux, Agen, and Cahors gathered in Lavaur around the fountain marking the boundary of their respective dioceses.
Ritual of the "May Tree of Locronan." The installation of a freshly cut beech tree in the middle of the church square. This Celtic-origin tradition is a celebration of summer.
Orléans, May 8, 2022.
Ritual of the "Joan of Arc Festival of Orléans." Clotilde Forgeot d’Arc, fifteen years old, was selected to portray Joan of Arc.
Armendarits, June 19, 2022.
Ritual of the "Feast of God." The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament during which a costumed and armed guard escorts the procession.
Ritual of the "Cremation of the Three Pines." Every year, three pines are erected and then burned to reenact the legendary creation of the town.
La Pierre Saint-Martin, July 13, 2022.
Ritual of the "Junta de Roncal." Every year, for the past 500 years, the French give three cows to the Spaniards to honor the oldest peace treaty still in effect in Europe.
The Pardon of Sainte-Anne-d'Auray is one of the most significant and renowned religious festivals in Brittany, France. Held annually in the town of Sainte-Anne-d'Auray, this event draws thousands of pilgrims and visitors from across the region and beyond.
Sainte-Anne-d4auray, Tuesday, July 26, 2022
The “Pardon of Sainte-Anne-d'Auray” is one of the most significant and renowned religious festivals in Brittany, France. Held annually in the town of Sainte-Anne-d'Auray, this event draws thousands of pilgrims and visitors from across the region and beyond.
Marcillac-Vallon, June 6, 2022.
Ritual of the "Saint-Bourrou," the blessing of the buds to protect the vines.
Guyane, Taluen, August 24, 2022.
The ritual of the "Maraké," specific to the Wayana and Apalaï communities of the Amazon, has not taken place since 2004. Alema Aloike, eleven years old, hopes to undergo this initiation rite next year.
« Bagnères-de-Luchon, June 25, 2022.Ritual of the "Brandon of Saint-Jean." Before the summer solstice, the brandon, a dried conifer trunk studded with wooden spikes, is set ablaze at nightfall.
Viévola, July 3, 2022.
Ritual of the "Feast of Our Lady of the Visitation in Viévola."
Following a mass, the Virgin Mary is carried in procession along the stream.
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The health crisis related to Covid-19 brought attention to the pressing need for real-life encounters. We became aware of the importance of social connections for our balance and well-being. While physical distancing was encouraged, my research turned towards festive events that had been put on hold at the height of the pandemic. The discovery of the Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in France represented a treasure trove of contacts and information. The "Rituals" project focuses on exploring nine rituals listed within it.
Of all forms of gatherings, rituals are the most structured. These social practices, true markers of time, assert the history and memory of a community. Through their observation, we are witnessing ancestral history. The past intrudes into a contemporary setting, and different times collide.
Participating in a ceremony like the Junte de Roncal, a Franco-Spanish peace treaty honored for six centuries, reminds us of where we come from and allows us to take stock of our contemporary world. What does a handshake represent in 2022? What does a compact crowd represent? Why do we continue to gather?
The "Rituals" series offers a dual interpretation. On one hand, it will question our relationship with ancestral heritage, and on the other, it will explore the impact of the health crisis on our organization and perception of gatherings.
This photographic work is part of the Grande commande photojournaliste organized by the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in 2022. Ten prints have been integrated into the French National Archives and were exhibited at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in 2024. A collective book compiling all the works from this major commission was published by the Éditions de la BnF.