04 — Human Presence

HUMAN PRESENCE — G7, ÉVIAN / GENEVA, 15–17.06.2026

Geneva, 15–17 June 2026
Analogue black-and-white photography
Leica M6
AGFA APX 400
Self-developed in ADOX FX-39
Hand-printed in the darkroom on ILFORD MULTIGRADE FB
Silver gelatin prints
17.8 × 24 cm each

During the major international event taking place in Évian from 15 to 17 June 2026, the atmosphere in nearby Geneva changed noticeably. Many inhabitants stayed away from the city centre, while demonstrations and heightened security disrupted its usual rhythm.

Rather than photographing the event or demonstrations directly, these images observe their indirect effects — emptiness, silence and the temporary suspension of everyday urban life.

01 — Triptych

Three views brought together as a single sequence: an advertising image of a young woman behind a window, an empty stage, and a closed carousel. Together, they construct the image of a city in suspension, where human presence is suggested precisely through its absence.

02 — Woman Behind the Window

A young woman seems to look out onto the street. Yet her presence is an illusion: she belongs to an advertising photograph behind the glass. A representation of a human being remains visible while everyday human activity has largely disappeared.

03 — Carousel

An object normally associated with children, movement, music and collective pleasure stands closed and motionless. The carousel becomes a trace of an activity that should be there but is temporarily absent.

04 — Empty Stage

A stage constructed for gathering, performance and spectatorship remains unoccupied. Surrounded by trees and silence, it becomes an architecture of expectation — a space waiting for human presence.

Together, the photographs explore absence, representation and expectation. They record not the spectacle of the event itself, but its effect upon everyday space — asking how the disappearance of people can sometimes make their presence more strongly felt.