On April 7th, Simone Raskin, Cultural Pedagog and Slow Looking veteran, designed a slow looking event together with the art gallery Arret sur l’Image in Bordeaux, France. Visitors to the gallery were invited to participate in workshops, slowing down during an hour and a half to observe a photography collection titled “D’ici ça ne paraît pas si loin”. 

Most visitors to the gallery participated in the workshops. Using the VTS method (Visual Thinking Strategies), but also mindfulness and slow looking, Simone facilitated the event, encouraging the participants to first select two photographs and slowly view them individually. The group then discussed impressions from each photograph, and Simone rounded off the session with some information about the artists and their work. 

Simone wrote the following intro to the photography exhibition by the LesAssociés collective (translated and partly edited by Johanna Bokedal):

“The project by the LesAssociés collective uses photography, sound and video. Active for 4 years, from September 2015 to June 2019, the 5 photographers from the collective (Alexandre Dupeyron, Elie Monferier, Olivier Panier Des Touches, Joël Peyrou, Sébastien Sindeu) explored the borders of the Nouvelle Aquitaine region of France. The goal of this project was to ask the question: “What does it mean to be from here?” The project puts into perspective the challenges of a fragmented society faced with increasingly broad horizons – large regions, a European identity, and globalization.”

Simone Raskin

Below are five images from the collection with the name of each photographer underneath.

The event was shared to Instagram and Facebook and to Simone’s website.

At Slow Art Day HQ we are delighted that Slow Art Day is gaining a foothold in France through Simone’s work. Earlier this year she spoke about slow looking as part of a TED x event in Bordeaux. You can view the video in French below:

We look forward to seeing more work from Simone Raskin and the Arret sur l’Image Gallery next year.

– Johanna, Jessica, Ashley, Robin and Phyl

PS: Slow Art Day was on Saturday, April 2, but the gallery hosted their event on the 7th since the exhibition was not yet open on the 2nd.