Exhibition L’Heure d’Hiver – Napoli

Through this photography exhibition, we aim to complement our film selection by offering a new immersive dimension to the journey through Naples. Each artist shares their unique vision of the metropolis, exploring a variety of themes. The recurring threads include the city’s architecture, the richness of its textures, the interactions of Neapolitans with their environment, or simply—but so powerfully—the vibrant energy of the city and that which emanates from its inhabitants. Here are the photographers who will take us from the streets of Naples to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

Thérèse Verrat, born in 1984 in Nice, first explored photography and visual arts at the preparatory school in Nice. She then joined the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Marseille before continuing her studies in Art History in Paris. Vincent Toussaint, born in 1988 in Gonesse, graduated from the Gobelins school with a degree in Photography. As photographers and visual artists, they position their practice at the intersection of documentary and still life, using the Mediterranean as their field of experimentation. Everywhere, their work questions reality and probes the notion of the image as a document.

A fallen tree, layers endlessly stacked on witness walls, suddenly laid bare; a worn-down pilaster revealing the beauty of time—both the time that passes and our own, suspended like laundry dancing above our heads. Pinned to these same walls, crucifixes and talismans—compulsory beliefs anchoring the present in this Neapolitan Speranza. And then the light, sometimes so intense that one must seek shelter, pushing us inside, into the shadowy interiors, often places of worship—where we pray, or at least hope, that the present lingers a little longer.

At the intersection of poetry and politics, art and documentary, Cyrille Weiner observes the experiences of individuals who resist and escape standardized spaces and ways of life.

Since the early 2000s, his photographs have explored our relationship with the city—particularly in its margins, in-between spaces, and areas undergoing transformation—and the ways we inhabit space. Landscape, architecture, and human presence are intertwined in precise investigations conducted on-site. Persistently questioning how individuals can take control of their living environments, independently of top-down directives, the photographer gradually moves away from a purely documentary approach to create a universe infused with fiction, which he brings to life through exhibitions, editorial projects, and installations.

Born in 1976 and a graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure Louis Lumière, Cyrille Weiner lives in Paris. His work has been published in numerous international magazines and exhibited at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Paysages Français, 2018), Villa Noailles in Hyères, and the Rencontres d’Arles. He was awarded the Lucien Hervé and Rodolphe Hervé Prize in 2012 and the Camera Clara Prize in 2016.

Robbie McIntosh lives in Naples and his photography, in a nutshell, is based on the observation of human behavior and the way in which mankind relates to its environment. Robbie describes Naples as a place where things happen at a rate of knots. The words he uses are “fast” and “random”. He talks of slippery stoned streets, bottlenecked passageways, screaming vendors and an incessant hustle and bustle.

Wisely, Robbie captures the majority of his subjects at the seaside, away from all the madness. In nothing but swimsuits, the locals suck down tobacco, shuck oysters and nibble Cambrian treats while they glaze in a multitude of vitamin D. In May 2024, he also took pictures of the Scampia, the infamous neighbourhood where the Camorra sells drugs. At the artist’s request, photographies from Scampia Anno Zero series will be sold to support Palestinian Oragnisations.

Octavian Carare is a Brussels-based photographer with a deep passion for street photography. For him, capturing the essence of a city means immersing himself in its streets, meeting the people, and uncovering the culture. Naples was one of his most exciting discoveries—an electrifying city filled with warmth, passion, and authenticity. Its vibrant energy, unfiltered characters, and unwavering love for football and life itself made it an unforgettable experience to photograph.