In Conversation: Artist Alexis Cordesse and Jérémie Molho, CERC Migration
- Date
- January 17, 2024
- Time
- 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET
- Location
- The Image Centre, 33 Gould St. Toronto
Alexis Cordesse, Talashi, 2018–2021, multi-channel video © Alexis Cordesse
Join artist Alexis Cordesse (external link) and Jérémie Molho, Senior Research Associate, CERC Migration, in converation about Cordesse’s multi-channel video Talashi (external link) , on view at The Image Centre’s Sala J. Bachir New Media Wall.
The Talashi project, showing at The Image Centre, from Jan. 17 to Apr. 6, is the work of Alexis Cordesse, a distinguished art photographer and former photojournalist. Cordesse collaborated with over 60 Syrian refugees, who he encountered across Turkey, Germany and France. The individuals entrusted Cordesse with their personal photographs, offering intimate glimpses into their lives before the upheaval of war. Talashi is the collection of the images that the refugees carried through exile, spanning a period of almost 30 years, from 1990 to 2019. The images were preserved in various forms, such as suitcases, wallets and mobile phones, and reflect the simplicity of everyday existence, disrupted and ravaged by conflict.
In conversation, Jérémie seeks to unlock the exhibition's deeper layers, inviting Cordesse to articulate his artistic trajectory, his commitment to the ‘ethics of testimony’, and the narratives encapsulated within the photographs on display. The conversation will explore the transformative potential of the arts in challenging and reshaping dominant media narratives around conflict and migration.
About Cordesse
Beginning his career amidst the first Iraq war in the 1990s, Cordesse became critically aware of the ambivalent power wielded by images in media portrayal. In a departure from the spectacle of continuous live news, his work contrasts mainstream media's image-making, offering new vantages on conflicts that have dominated headlines for decades, from the Rwanda Genocide to the Palestinian conflict. In Talashi, Cordesse transcends the prevalent imagery of the Syrian war, presenting instead personal snapshots of ordinary life—moments of celebration, sporting events, travel, and family gatherings. These photographs serve as poignant counterpoints to the unseen horrors of war.
The talk will be held from 6 to 7 PM. Guests can enjoy the gallery until 8 PM.
Presented with the support of the Consulate General of France in Toronto and the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at Toronto Metropolitan University.
