JURY STATEMENT
Transitions as lived stories of heroism. Mathis Benestebe shows how you can become a hero for and within yourself, connecting the concentrated autobiographical opening of the series with other parallel trajectories, human experiences of transition, all of which ultimately find different forms of embodiment.
ERINLÉ
“Enrilé” is a conceptually strong, autobiographical exploration of identity and representation. It is divided into two parts, a warm, grainy black and white series, reminiscent of childhood memories and contemplative moments, and an stark, sharp, digital, studio portrait series against a bold red radiant background, capturing and in a way photographically pinning possible points in personal stories of gender transitions. As Mathis Benetsebe writes himself: “The first chapter focuses on the absence of representation and the impossibility of projecting oneself into any kind of figure. This leads to an urgent need to discover the faces of those with similar paths. The second chapter introduces the infinite possibilities of personal stories and experiences that have gender transition in common. Each person represents a new model of fulfillment, and a new, unexpected encounter. The arrival of scarlet, however, announces the first signs of the violence provoked by this new social identity. In the Yoruba religious traditions of West Africa, Erinlé is a deity, master of fishing, warrior and hunter. Androgynous in appearance, their cult originated with the Ilobu people of present-day Nigeria, and was found in the cities of the ancient empire of Oyo.”
BIOGRAPHY
Mathis Benestebe is a 21-year-old photographer. Born in Saint-Nazaire, he lives in Toulouse and graduated the ETPA photography school with jury honors in 2023. His work revolves around intimacy, autobiography and lack. He wishes to testify the importance of memory in the construction of identity.
For Mathis, photography acts as tangible proof of its own reality. He is a control photographer, he likes to think and plan. As if to materialize impalpable symbols as accurately as possible, he carefully chooses each element of his images. He is striving to find emotion where it hides.
JURY STATEMENT
Transition als gelebte Held*innengeschichte. Mathis Benestebe zeigt wie man sich selbst zum*r Held*in werden kann, verbindet den konzentriert autobiografischen Startpunkt der Serie mit weiteren parallel laufenden Wegen, die aber alle letztlich unterschiedliche Verkörperungen finden.
ERINLÉ
„Enrilé“ ist eine konzeptionell dichte, autobiografische Auseinandersetzung mit Identität und Repräsentation. Sie teilt sich in zwei Teile, eine warme, körnige Schwarz-Weiß Reihe, die an Kindheitserinnerungen und kontemplative Momente erinnert und eine strenge, scharfe, digitale, Studio-Portraitserie vor kräftig rot strahlendem Hintergrund, die mögliche Punkte in persönlichen Geschichten von Gender-Transitionen festhält und auf eine Art fotografisch anpinnt. Mathis Benetsebe beschreibt selbst: „Das erste Kapitel befasst sich mit der Abwesenheit von Repräsentation und der Unmöglichkeit, sich in irgendeine Figur hinein zu projizieren. Daraus ergibt sich das dringende Bedürfnis, die Gesichter derjenigen zu entdecken, die einen ähnlichen Weg gegangen sind. Das zweite Kapitel stellt die unendlichen Möglichkeiten der persönlichen Geschichten und Erfahrungen vor, die den Transitionsprozess gemeinsam haben. Jede Person stellt eine neue Möglichkeit der Verwirklichung und eine neue, unerwartete Begegnung dar. Die Ankunft des Scharlachrots kündigt jedoch die ersten Anzeichen der Gewalt an, die durch diese neue soziale Identität hervorgerufen wird. In den religiösen Traditionen der Yoruba in Westafrika ist Erinlé eine Gottheit, Meister*in des Fischfangs, Krieger*in und Jäger*in. Der androgyner Kult hat seinen Ursprung beim Volk der Ilobu im heutigen Nigeria und war in den Städten des alten Reiches von Oyo zu finden.“
BIOGRAFIE
Mathis Benestebe ist ein 21-jähriger Fotograf. Er wurde in Saint-Nazaire geboren, lebt in Toulouse und schloss 2023 die ETPA-Fotografieschule mit Auszeichnung der Jury ab. Seine Arbeit dreht sich um Intimität, Autobiografie und Mangel. Er möchte die Bedeutung des Gedächtnisses für die Konstruktion der Identität bezeugen. Für Mathis ist die Fotografie ein greifbarer Beweis für seine eigene Realität. Er ist ein Kontrollfotograf, er denkt und plant gerne. Als ob er ungreifbare Symbole so genau wie möglich
Transitions as lived stories of heroism. Mathis Benestebe shows how you can become a hero for and within yourself, connecting the concentrated autobiographical opening of the series with other parallel trajectories, human experiences of transition, all of which ultimately find different forms of embodiment.
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