Students from the Faculty of Science at the Montpellier Photography Festival
Boutographies is back for a three-week exhibition. You’ll find photographs from around the world…and poems written by scientists. It’s a wonderful reminder that science and art are never far apart. Curious? Follow the guide.
This Saturday, May 4, marked the opening of Montpellier’s Boutographies photography festival. More than 550 photographers from 34 different countries are setting up shop—and, more importantly, displaying their photos—at 15 venues across Montpellier. This massive gathering, centered at the Pavillon Populaire, drew nearly 18,000 visitors last year. Enough to make your head spin. S.C.R.I.B.E.S, the student association at the University of Montpellier, is renewing its partnership for a second year by writing texts that resonate with the work of the featured photographer for this 2024 edition.
What is this festival?
The Boutographies Festival has been taking over the city for over 20 years and has become “a must-see event in Montpellier’s artistic and cultural season,” as Michaël Delafosse—mayor of Montpellier—noted in the festival program’s editorial. Originally established in the Boutonnet neighborhood—whose name, when shortened, gave the event its title—the festival provides an annual opportunity to showcase new European photography. Indeed, all European photographers and those residing in Europe are invited to submit their work; a call for submissions is issued each year. Following an initial screening by the association and a selection by an independent jury, the official lineup is determined.
Each year, Les Boutographies helps promote the art of photography across various venues, challenging our assumptions. This vibrant atmosphere is made possible through a fruitful collaboration with 43 partners, including the Montpellier Metropolitan Area and the Hérault Department, which, along with nine sponsors, provide financial support.
A Collaboration with Scribes
Last year, Christian Maccotta—artistic director of Boutographies—had already turned to this unique student association in Montpellier: S.C.R.I.B.E.S—Salon de Création Récréative et d’Initiation Bienveillante à l’Écriture par les Scientifiques. This was a fruitful first collaboration, as the participating students—the Scribes—had the opportunity to work with the photographic art of Camilla de Maffei, the author selected for the Carte Blanche of the 2023 edition. Coordinated by Sonia Chalbi—a professor at the Faculty of Sciences in Montpellier—the students were able to exhibit their texts alongside Camilla de Maffei’s photographs. This year, they focused on the series *Je crois aux Nuits* by Pierre Liebaert—author of the 2024 Carte Blanche. A work previously recognized and awarded at the Boutographies in 2012 and 2016, it inspired eleven poems this year, each distinct from the others in both style and form.
– Carte Blanche 2024 author –
If you missed the chance to write with S.C.R.I.B.E.S. on Pierre Liebaert’s work, you can join the association, which offers creative writing workshops every Wednesday. The only requirement is that you be a student at the University of Montpellier. S.C.R.I.B.E.S. has more tricks up its sleeve and is planning new projects for the upcoming academic year, so stay tuned. We hope the partnership with the festival will continue to strengthen this connection between art and science.
Les Boutographies is a massive event running through May 26, 2024—enough time to enjoy the photographers’ works as well as the scientific Scribes who play with words.
To follow S.C.R.I.B.E.S: Instagram @scribes_um
For more information about the Boutographies Festival: Instagram @les_boutographies and website https://www.boutographies.com
Article written by Nafi Terrasse, a student in the Mediaccess Master’s program at the FdS