 Born
in Tourcoing (in north of France ) 37 years ago, Olivier
Spillebout is first and foremost an image enthusiast who
got into photography by working for a couple of photography
companies. While he was an experienced amateur, he presided
a Lille-based association dedicated to photography for a long
time. In 1999, aware that a big photography event can take
place to the north of Paris, Olivier utilizes his event organization
skills to conceive and propose to the local authorities and
to the sponsors the Transphotographiques project. A project
that can be described as ambitious or even risky: the concept
is to set up a general interest festival on an international
scale spreading on the entire region of Nord-Pas-De-Calais
and extending to Belgium with Lille as a center. A celebration
with a warm atmosphere (since it's the region's state of mind)
during which photos representing photography through all its
aspects would be exhibited everywhere, from the bars' walls
to the museums' picture rails as well as in town halls in
the countryside. And all this for free, so that everyone can
"stuff themselves" with images.
What Olivier has in mind, is to organize a meeting between
as many people as possible and "great persons" such
as Willy Ronis, who accepted to sponsor the first edition
in 2001. Epson France, the officials of the city of
Lille and the Nord-Pas de Calais region are appealed by this
concept that had never been done on a regional scale in France
before.
Thanks to their support and by having drawn the public's attention
right away, the first year of the Transphotographiques is
a success. Olivier has become the manager of a small cultural
enterprise but despite its 5 successful editions, to Olivier,
the association is not "on track" yet which will
make him focus on the quality and the artistic impact of the
festival.
Given he's a photographer himself, Olivier is really careful
when it comes to the select the places of exhibitions (he
likes them spacious and unexpectable) and the scenography.
Above all, Olivier is very demanding on the program which
embodies the festival's identity and his objective is impressive:
to develop the democratic, open and festive spirit of the
Transphotographiques, to put new talents on the spotlight,
to pay respect to the great photographers, to attach importance
on the contemporary avant-garde and to promote the regional
photography scene. In order to do that, Olivier relies on
his tastes. "We're always prepared-he says- to struggle
in order to show something that appealed us". This sense
of enthusiasm helped him convince the greatests (Ronis, Depardon,
Klein, Lindberg, Roversi) to take part in the adventure of
a festival that's still new.
According to Jean-Luc Monterosso, the director of the
Maison Européenne de la photographie: "Olivier
is mainly a man of action who makes things happen. It's because
he always goes for it that the Transphotographiques have such
an impact."
"He
always makes a tremendous effort, confirms Anne de
Mondenard, a curator who was invited in 2005. but he
also changes. he's not as wild as he used to be."
He may be settled down, but he's still stimulated by an insatiable
desire of photography and by a complete faith in his festival.
Olivier's strong point is his ability to pass on this faith
to those who make the Transphotographiques an exciting and
beautiful event every year.
written
by Antoine Pecquet (La Gazette)
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REPONSES
PHOTO
Juin 2005
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20
Minutes
Juin 2005
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Voix
du Nord
5 mai 2004
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Voix
du Nord
13 mai 2004 |
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Voix
du Nord
12 juillet 2003
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Nord
Eclair
11 mai 2001 |
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