FESTIVAL VOIES OFF

7 rue de la Roquette 13200 Arles

The 2019 edition of FOTOHAUS I PARISBERLIN focuses on the subject of walls, bringing together around 50 photographers from Germany, France and other European countries. Organized by ParisBerlin>fotogroup under the title Mur(s) / Mauer(n), the exhibition will be shown during Les Rencontres d‘Arles, within the program of the Voies Off Festival, in July 2019.

It would seem that the need to build or destroy walls has been inscribed for centuries in human DNA. The very concept of a wall refers to the desire of peoples and individuals to distinguish national, religious or ethnic territories, public or private spaces. The goal being often to remain with one‘s peers, to protect and defend themselves against real or imaginary dangers.

From 1961 to 1989, the Berlin Wall was the symbol of the confrontation of two ideologies and systems, a symbol of the conflict between the so-called free and “non-free“ worlds. Its „fall“ 30 years ago was supposed to mark the end of the Cold War, bringing long lasting peace to the world. However, this hope was deceptive and today‘s reality is sobering. While in 1989 there were only 15 walls or highly secured border fences worldwide, in 2011 the number reached up to 48, and today there are more than 60! This equals a length of about 40.000 kilometers – roughly the circumference of the earth. The first Schengen Agreement of 1985 led to a gradual abolishment of border controls in many parts of Europe. But some countries have reintroduced them, and in the EU, as well as in the rest of the world, borders are once again closing, and walls are being built at an alarming rate. The causes are varying: control of migration flows, fear of the “clash of cultures“, fight against terrorism, economic crises and environmental degradation. However, the consequences are always the same: isolationism, nationalism, rise of populism and a general rejection of “the other”.