artLIVE – Following the exhibition‘Heritage of Mother-of-Pearl Inlay’, the program will introduce to the public the second art project within the framework of the Artist in Residence Villa Saigon 2025 organized by the French Institute: The communion between humans and animals.
Touching communion through the perspective of photographer Tina Merandon
This project is carried out by French photographer Tina Merandon Currently, she is an artist who stands out for her approach to the multidimensional relationships between humans and animals, from the connection, intersection to the opposition between humans and the surrounding world.
Her works often have an improvisational spirit, like a dance between the body, creating a subtle blend of form, color and visual language. She has received many prestigious awards, including a nomination for the Kodak Prize for Photography Critics in 1998, the Jeune Création Prize in 2003, and the Roger Pic Special Mention Award in 2012.
Her works are present in many prestigious art collections: National Foundation for Contemporary Art, National Library of France, Museum of Fine Arts … Nicéphore Niépce Museum and, more recently, the Neuflize OBC Bank collection (2024). In addition, her photo book ‘Tisser sa toile’, published by Loco Publishing in 2021, was a finalist for the 2022 Nadar Prize.
Currently, Tina Merandon focuses on artist-in-residence programs, developing personal projects, teaching at the Sorbonne University Paris 1 and giving workshops to various creative groups.
‘The Sympathy Between Humans and Animals’ – The Natural Connection Between Humans and Nature
The project ‘Human-Animal Connections’ offers an in-depth look at the relationship between humans and animals, from collaboration in work to intimate connections in everyday life. Through the lens of photographer Tina Merandon, the project raises questions about the possibility of harmonious coexistence between humans and other species in an increasingly modernized world.
In the 8-week journey of composing in Vietnam, from the bustling urban area of Ho Chi Minh City. From Ho Chi Minh to the Dak Lak highlands and the Mekong Delta, Tina captured everyday, simple but emotional moments such as the image of a docile duckling lying in the palm of her hand, eyes filled with affection for her pet or the clear laughter of children playing with a little goat.
The lush green gardens, the houses with a rustic feel… all lead viewers to a world where the connection between humans and animals is present through the simplest gestures: a gentle touch, a warm breath, a shared presence.
The exhibition ‘The communion between humans and animals’ is an invitation to contemplate the silent but lasting companionship between humans and the natural world, and is also a timely message in the context of sustainable development and efforts to maintain ecological balance.
The exhibition ‘The Sympathy Between Humans and Animals’ will be open to the public from April 17 to April 23, 2025 at IDECAF Exhibition Hall, 31 Thai Van Lung, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Photo: French Institute
