Fibre du monde | July 6 – November 8, Arles Off Festival

Three perspectives, two regions, a shared humanistic sensibility. *Fibre du monde* invites us to pause and look, to listen to what is left unsaid, to feel what is not immediately apparent. Silence comes before the gaze.

Elvira & James Vil photographed in the heart of a gold-mining village in Madagascar. Through this series, they turn their gaze toward a community shaped by work, hope, and solidarity. Behind the quest for gold, what emerges above all are faces, traditions passed down through generations, and moments of life that speak to the strength of human connection. Gold remains in the background, almost secondary. What emerges above all are the gazes, the presence, and the stories that inhabit this land. Each print is produced on Antemoro paper, made from Malagasy plant fibers, thereby extending the dialogue between the image, the women and men photographed, and the land that welcomes them.

Muriel Pénicaud, a longtime advocate for women’s freedom and empowerment, shares the beauty, hope, and sisterhood of women in India—in Rajasthan, Bangalore, and the Araku Valley. In this high valley, home to the indigenous Adivasi tribes, she supports the NGO Naandi in its work toward rural development through permaculture, girls’ education, and their social empowerment. Her prints, created on Bizan Japanese paper made from mulberry fiber, extend this commitment, with the gentle strength of the fiber paying tribute to the courage of these women. Women are weavers of fabrics, of bonds, of life. We are all made of this fiber of flesh and love that connects us, like an invisible thread.  

Address:Hôtel Jules César - 9 Boulevard des Lices, 13200 Arles