The Bastille, during a demonstration against Sarkozy’s government, Paris, France.

This project is a photographic research of the concept of Democracy. As a photo reporter I try to work on contemporary issues implying a wider angle rather than just the next morning front page. As an artist I work with the single image process, which comes from a personal wish to show the world with a sharp and thoughtful point of view.

In every story I work on, I find myself facing a different situation that almost constantly brings up democracy. This isn’t advocacy for, or a critic of democracy, but the intention is to show where and how in different aspects of our globalized world, this concept can be understood, reclaimed and put forward. I have chosen democracy as a common factor not only to describe a blurry concept, but also to raise a question that everyone shares: what has democracy become today?

Art and photojournalism exist in what Susan Sontag has termed ‘febrile rivalry’ and my intentions equal those of a tightrope walker trying to express himself without falling to one side or another. My approach stands in the news media and I look for raw material in countries that make the headlines. The thread of the project is Lincoln’s famous quote: “the power to the people, by the people, for the people”, elections, demonstrations, public maters and revolutions are examples for me to draw sketches of pictorial symbols of Democracy.

I am aware of the effectiveness of both my experience and my naivety, I use them both as much as I can into the research, the act of photographing, the editing, and are my only weapons I can use to fight.

Calais immigrants camp the ‘Jungle’ after a demonstration against the eviction of the camp. Calais, France. An afghan worker on a US military base in Gardez. Gardez. Afghanistan. Sami (45) and his family are from Sinkari. They came to Cairo to see Tahrir Square. He said hating Mubarak for 30 years and embraces the Egyptian soil. Babul and Ibrahim, from Bangladesh, working on a tower construction in Dubai, they participated in demonstration against working conditions. Dubai. Playground for kids in an officer’s neighborhood. Guantanamo US naval base, Cuba. During a demonstration against Sarkozy’s government. Paris, France. Blackblock anarchists. During the G20 and NATO Summit. Strasbourg. An American soldier on the way back from a mission. Afghanistan, Gardez. Life resumed in the district of Khan el Khalili bazaar near Cairo after the demonstrations on Tahrir Square, Egypt. Mohammad 17; Ibrahim 16 and Islam 17 years; watching the boat freshly getting out on the Nile. They want to be singer; fashion designer and football player now that the country takes a breath of democracy, Egypt. Publis affait officer on Guantanamo bay US naval Base, Cuba. Afghan national army soldier on the road to Jelalabad, Afghanistan. Blackblock anarchists. During the G20 and NATO Summit. Strasbourg. Abdikrim; 37; in his gas station located behind the Tahrir Square; he participates in all events. Egypt, Cairo. Afghan police officer, guarding a polling office. Afghanistan, Kabul. Ahmad, has spent the last 2 nights on Tahrir Square,Cairo, Egypt. Tahrir Square before final eviction. Cairo, Egypt.

Bio

With my father’s old camera I left to Argentina when I was 17 years old. This is where I started photojournalism. In 2001 the country fell into a terrible economic crash. I understood that today Photojournalism should avoid the cynical perception; it should be used as a positive tool, not to mention the need to find new ways of assimilating and representing the real. After my first exhibition of the Argentina’s pictures, I worked on a long term project that focused on the backstage of the politic, fashion and cinema industries. It was exhibited as a personal show in Paris (AAA gallery) and Brussels (Jonas Gallery). After a few collective exhibition on my new project “Working with Democracy”, I just finished a story in Egypt: Life after the revolution. Today I keep working for magazines, newspaper and personal projects.

Related links

Baptiste Giroudon