La Gacilly Photo Festival

La Gacilly Photo Festival
Jun 1, 2025 – Oct 5, 2025

La Gacilly
La Gacilly, France

The British photographers we are honouring this summer have this singular style. They're so British because they know how to cleverly capture a soul: the soul of an era, the soul of a country, the human soul. At La Gacilly, we've always wanted to honour the great masters of photography, and Sir Don McCullin, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, is a legend. Throughout his career, he has placed his lens as close as possible to individuals, to their valour and their fears, their thoughtlessness and beliefs. He didn't photograph the misery of the excluded, he denounced it; he didn't photograph war, he decried its absurdity; he didn't photograph the English countryside or ancient landscapes, he showed their fragility. This retrospective of his work stirs our minds, while leaving intact our capacity to take on a new consciousness.

If mischievousness remains the prerogative of the British, Martin Parr is its photographic standard-bearer. For over fifty years, this indefatigable chronicler of English society has cast an implacable, razor-sharp eye over his compatriots, from both modest and more affluent backgrounds. His work is accentuated by a perfectly mastered art of framing (and close-ups), a liking for bright colours, and a skilful use of flash lighting, thanks to which he has freed himself from all stuffy academicism. Where did he find his inspiration? Parr admits that he feels great admiration for an artist who is sadly forgotten today, a genius of the art of mockery who died too soon at the age of 31 in the early 1970s : Tony Ray-Jones. At La Gacilly, we'll be introducing you to this ironic observer of the mores of his time, who gave humour its rightful place without ever lapsing into needless cruelty. These two forerunners of unbridled, light-hearted photography have seen their work emulated. Peter Dench likes to examine the contradictions of a society that we believe to be deeply attached to tradition. Crown subjects flock to all the ceremonies laid on for their sovereigns, but find themselves overwhelmed by emotion, in a skilful blend of trashiness and class, absurdity and seriousness, pragmaticism and eccentricity. As for Josh Edgoose, who is very active on social media, he roams the streets of London in search of the unexpected, favouring vibrant colours, incongruous details and moments of joy and spontaneity.

Each of his images is the result of a happy coincidence, and this is the first time his work has been shown in France. « Swinging London » - a permanently effervescent capital - reminds us that a whole genre of untamed pop music was born on the banks of the Thames or in the suburbs of Liverpool and then swept across the world. Terry O'Neill witnessed this sizzling, exhilarating revolution. Crucially, he was the photographic confidant of England's enfants terribles, from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones and David Bowie to Elton John, bringing all the artists involved in this new scene before his lens. His images are now iconic, and take us back to a world not so long past.

But British photography can also be proud of the fact that, from its very beginnings, it has set its sights on the wonders of nature. Did you know that the United Kingdom and France share the privilege of being the inventors of the medium ? Although Nicéphore Niepce, from Chalon-sur-Saône, was the first to set an image on a metal plate, it was an English botanist who was the first to develop this technique all the way back in 1843. Anna Atkins was a pioneer in this field, and at La Gacilly we'll be presenting some of her cyanotypes, used to create herbariums of spellbinding beauty, which are astonishingly modern when you consider that many contemporary artists are once again using this almost 200-year-old process. A new generation is fiercely defending this heritage that pays homage to nature. Three women will be featured in our programme. Gina Soden has made abandoned places her kingdom to offer us works of rare poetry, exploring manor houses and old mansions that their owners have left behind, disused factories and dilapidated hospitals where nature reclaims its rights. Cig Harvey experiments with colours, our sensory experiences and bodies that blend into nature so that she can awaken our senses and stir our need for delicacy. Finally, Mary Turner takes a tender look at the marginalised populations of post-industrial England, with an eye reminiscent of Ken Loach's films which places human beings at the heart of all her shots.


AAP Magazine Street 2026
 

expand_circle_rightAll Photography Festivals


AAP Magazine Street 2026
 

expand_circle_rightPhotography Events Ending Soon

From photography exhibitions and photo festivals to art fairs and gallery shows, these events are closing soon and still worth a visit. Whether you're an avid collector, a photography enthusiast, or simply looking for cultural inspiration, find the best photography events near you before they end.