Winner of the Prix Elysée 2023, the American photographer, Debi Cornwall (USA, 1973), unveils the results of her project at the Rencontres d’Arles, with an exhibition and a publication.
Over the past ten years, Debi Cornwall has explored the narratives that have shaped the image of America. Her striking, formally composed color documentary photographs encourage us to reflect on the staging and normalization of state power. The exhibition presents two series of photographs that represent two facets of this reality. Necessary Fictions (2020) questions realistic war games on ten American military bases, where civilians recreate war scenes for the army. Model Citizens (2024) explores the impact of staging and role-playing on citizenship, with images from a variety of sites, including Border Patrol training scenarios and right-wing political rallies.
Exhibition co-produced by Photo Elysée, Lausanne, and the Rencontres d'Arles
Curators
Nathalie Herschdorfer & Lydia Dorner
Exhibition text
Nathalie Herschdorfer & Lydia Dorner
Exhibition design
Amanda Antunes for the Rencontres d'Arles
Prints and wallpapers
Picto, Paris
Framing
Circad, Paris
