Can we depict work? From 24 April to 4 June 2017 took place the second biennial festival of Usimages. Usimages is an exhibition of industrial photography organised by the urban community of Creil and by the photography centre of Picardie, Diaphane.
The festival covered a number of areas: people in the workplace, people’s relationship with machines, the representation of industry in the history of photography, traces of the industrial heritage in the landscape, industrial architecture, and works of art ordered by companies to artists.
Usimages 2017 included ten photography exhibits from archives and contemporary artists, practical photography workshops, guided tours, a cycle of lectures, and an initiative for the inhabitants of Creil to collect photos taken in the workplace. The 2017 Usimages prize was awarded to the best photo taken in the workplace in 2015 or 2016.
In the exhibition, visitors could discover EDF power plants, experimental laboratories for new robots, the self-representation of company employees, the world of carpentry, the working time of employees in the petrochemical sector, the creation of the RER, etc.
What uses can be made of workplace photos?
Usimages invites reflection on the uses of workplace photography: a means of information on economic and social development, a denunciation of difficult working conditions, a tool for companies to show their know-how, performances, etc.
An educational pack was given to teachers to prepare the visits.
For further information: Usimages 2017
Click on the following links for our articles about the representation of the economy in photos: Progrès ou déclin en photos, Photographie-moi la confiance, the analysis of our educational project: Photographier l’économie and bibliographie « L’économie en images ».
Published on 14 March 2017. Updated on 13 June 2024