Mathieu Drouet Archives Portfolio

About

Mathieu Drouet is a French photographer based between Lille and Valencia.

While his choice of subjects is often the fruit of his encounters and travels, he shapes his projects with precision, balancing the tenuous thread between instinct and reflection. Memory, history, and transmission — particularly with regard to family — are the guiding themes of his work. His main influences include Nan Goldin, Alec Soth, Stephen Shore, and Joel-Peter Witkin.

After taking up photography in 1989 with his grandfather's camera, he further developed his practice when he enrolled at the agricultural college in 1992. He reproduced the style of photographers he liked, such as the contrasting black-and-whites of Anton Corbijn, whose aesthetic he likened to the world of fanzines.

The following year, at the Guy Mollet college in Arras, he took over the photo lab, which gave him access not only to equipment but also the opportunity to take portraits of figures such as Annie Ernaux and Moebius when they visited.

In 1993, while already documenting the local rock scene, he took concert photos upon request of the event planner at MJC du Pharos in Arras, then at Le Grand Mix.

In 1997, he entered the Saint-Luc Institute (Tournai). Although he decided to quit school after a year, he learned about the works of photographers who continue to influence him to this day.

After taking a break for several years, Mathieu Drouet returned to photography in the late 2000s. Together with a friend, he founded an agency specializing in wine and music, became the head of photo production for the Dour Festival, and continued to collaborate with artists on their portfolios and album covers. It was during this intense period of production that more personal projects emerged, such as De Peur que nous oubliions (For Fear of Forgetting), developed during the back and forth between Lille and Newfoundland.

In 2015, Mathieu Drouet left Lille to move in with his partner in Valencia, and Spain brought new life to his work, such as in the series First Meeting or In Fiction. Over the years, he has taught at ESJ, at communications school, at University of Lille III, and at the Catholic Institute of Lille as part of the general education courses. In addition to working with independent artists such as Xavier Brisoux, he has collaborated with Arte, Telerama, Radio France, and the Dour Festival.

Exhibitions

audioguid.es — Paris, Meaningful, 2022

digital art

audioguid.es is a set of photographic objects exploring both the memory of territories and that of their inhabitants. Halfway between an audio guide and a time capsule, audioguid.es captures the memory and state of mind of people living or working in the Goutte d'Or neighborhood of Paris during the summer of 2022.

Audio cassettes were the simplest medium for sharing music in the 80s and 90s, and often a personal link between individuals and their community. From the cadastral Goutte d'Or to the Goutte d'Or of the Paris metro, the neighborhood sometimes takes on a larger dimension: a place of welcome, migration, transit, commerce, work and dealing — the Goutte d'Or has its own geography for each community and each person.

The 10 cassettes that make up the set contain interview recordings and a selection of music on the A sides. On the B sides, a DATA recording of the cassette ensures the work's transmission and longevity.

Grande Plage — Lille, 2016

digital art

Grande Plage is a photographic and musical project aiming to create a collection of unique vinyl maxi 45 RPM records, highlighting Mathieu Drouet's photography through artists he selected specifically for the project.

Espana — Lille, L'Univers, 2011

Espana is an exhibition combining two photographic series (Andréa & L'Atzuvia) made between April 2009 and September 2010 in the Oliva region, near Valencia. With no documentary or sociological intent, the exhibition channels the emotions felt between the onset of the economic crisis that hit the region hard and Spain's victory in the 2010 football World Cup.

The exhibition consists of fifteen 45×45 cm aluminum-mounted inkjet prints, made from scans of medium-format color negatives.

Sprezzatura — Anne-Valérie Hash, Paris X, 2011

There are words scattered on the wind that we cannot translate into other languages. They exist nonetheless: we feel them, we sense them. Sprezzatura is one of those words. Reducing it to a mere "nonchalance" would be far too narrow — it should rather be felt as the apparent ease, the falsely natural achievements the word carries. Like a drape that falls perfectly. Like a snapshot caught on the fly. Just like that.

Xavier Brisoux and Mathieu Drouet seal here three years of work together. Five collections in which they jointly express their will — to break the classical temporal cycle of fashion for the former, and to escape the conventions of photographic exhibitions for the latter. Three years of consistency and evolution from these two artists with complementary practices, who deliver in Sprezzatura the most complete expression of their collaboration.

Sprezzatura comprises eight 60×40 prints on aluminum-mounted Fine Art paper, plus two larger 90×60 prints of the same nature, suspended in the nineteenth-century medieval-styled ballroom that serves as the showroom for the Anne-Valérie Hash house.

Publications

Tennessee Moonshine

The recording of Team Wild's album was the perfect excuse to set off in late autumn 2014. Along with my companion and partner Agathe Vuachet, we followed them into the studio and experienced our own Tennessee Moonshine as we crossed the state from Nashville to Memphis. We hit the road again in June, taking other back roads between Nashville and Memphis to create a complete and complementary work with Team Wild, consisting of an album, a film, a clip and a book.

Navire & Maisonnettes

This book–CD is the result of encounters between adventurous musician Red, versatile photographer Mathieu Drouet, and the residents of two neighborhoods in Lille: St-Maurice and Vauban. The artists interacted with the residents, collecting their stories, memories, and emotions, involving them in workshops and portraits. The work of photographer Mathieu Drouet is especially highlighted. The songs and photos in the book are authentic fragments of the residents' reality, captured by the sensitive artist duo.

Taureau — Torture

Taureau — Torture: Les Soirées Floues is a captivating black-and-white photography collection by documentary photographer Mathieu Drouet. The book takes the reader on a visual journey through various evenings and nights, capturing the raw emotions and fleeting moments experienced in these blurry settings. Drouet's masterful eye for detail and atmosphere allows the viewer to immerse themselves in the scenes, creating a powerful and evocative experience.

Interviews

Lensing Xavier Brisoux's Maille Haute-Sculpture: Interview with Photographer Mathieu Drouet — Irenebrination
Photographer aims to capture Newfoundland's war history — CBC Radio Canada
French photographers seek N.L. WWI connections for project — CBC Radio Canada
Grand Palais — Portrait de photographe : Mathieu Drouet — Grand Palais
Deux artistes, deux quartiers, et un livre habité à hauteur d'habitants — La Voix du Nord

Site team

Artistic Direction: Meaningful — thanks to Jennifer Tytgat, Marine Rouit-Leduc, Galilée Al Rifaï and Nicolas Rouit-Leduc.

Artistic Support: Stéphane Maguet for Meaningful.

Editorial Direction: Andrea Goulet.

HTML Integration: Paul Stilhart.

APP & CMS Development: regrets.app

Mathieu Drouet Archives Portfolio

IAM + Fonky Family - 13 novembre 1997 - L’Aeronef - Lille

music · 18 décembre 2023 ·L’Aeronef, Lille

french-hip-hop-legends

IAM and Fonky Family are two iconic French rap groups from Marseille. Pioneers of the genre, they left their mark on the 90s with their distinct styles and major contributions to French hip-hop culture.

IAM, formed in Marseille in 1989, is a cornerstone of French rap, recognized for its introspective lyrics, often infused with Egyptian and oriental references, and its sophisticated musical productions. Composed of Akhenaton, Shurik'n, Kheops, Imhotep, and Kephren, the group crafted a unique sound, blending classic boom-bap with innovative instrumentation. Their seminal work, L'école du micro d'argent (1997), is considered a timeless classic, praised for its lyrical depth and production quality.

Fonky Family, also hailing from Marseille and formed in 1994, embodies a rawer and more realistic facet of French rap. With members like Le Rat Luciano, Menzo, Don Choa, Sat l'Artificier, Pone, and DJ Djel, the group authentically depicted Marseille's urban life, using direct and impactful language. Their debut album, Si Dieu veut... (1997), quickly established their reputation for energetic stage presence and lyrics rooted in street life.

Together, IAM and Fonky Family represent the richness and diversity of the 1990s Marseille hip-hop movement. While IAM explored more philosophical and social themes with a poetic approach, Fonky Family brought raw energy and an uncompromising vision of reality. Their synergy on stage or in collaborations symbolized the unity and strength of a burgeoning French rap scene.

These two groups profoundly influenced generations of artists and helped establish Marseille as a vital hub for rap in France, leaving an indelible musical legacy in the history of French urban music.

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