with Fred Margueron and Philippe Ripoll

Audience: Three classes of CM1 from Rouen elementary schools.

Location: Rouen

Timing: Six hours of photography workshops and two hours of writing workshops per class.

After a visit to the Le Parti pris des choses exhibition at the Centre photographique Rouen Normandie, the children met writer Philippe Ripoll, who got them to work on some slightly bizarre texts based on the photographs in the exhibition. Back home, the children chose a number of objects to take back to school. Spoons, saucepans, yo-yos, video games, nuts, kitchen utensils, computer parts, hockey shirts, football boots, toothbrushes, calculators and much more were all brought home.

Working with photographer Fred Margueron, the children built all these objects into odd structures using coloured scotch tape and invisible fishing line. They then had to take care to light their assemblies (but not too much either) and make sure that nothing moved or collapsed so that they could be photographed. After two mornings of workshops, Philippe Ripoll returned to the classrooms to once again get the children to write and invent the story behind each image.

Output : A leporello – or “accordion notebook” – containing all the photographs and texts produced was produced. It combines the works of the three schools.

Supported by the City of Rouen‘s “Édu’curieux” programme.