photo4food grant
2026
On a knife-edge
As part of her residency, Claire Adelfang is dedicating a photographic series to the Levavasseur Spinning Mill, a former industrial gem of the Eure region that now lies abandoned. Built in the 19th century in the heart of the Andelle Valley, this spectacular neo-Gothic building, once powered by water, still bears the marks of its history, marked by several fires and the site’s permanent closure.
Through her use of medium-format film photography and a careful handling of light, the photographer offers a contemporary perspective on this ‘cathedral-factory’. The images go beyond mere heritage documentation to reveal a theatrical, almost surreal space, where water, vegetation and stone seem to interact in a delicate balance.
The project draws on the heritage of this site and invites visitors to look beyond the immediate reality, revealing various traces that tell the many different stories linked to this forgotten landmark.
A French photographer born in 1984 in Les Lilas, Claire Adelfang lives and works in Paris.
Her film photography, shot without post-processing, favours the square format and frontal compositions that delve into the heart of the subjects to the point of abstraction. Inspired by arthouse cinema, she photographs industrial, military and heritage architecture, dramatising the spaces without any temporal references. Her work evokes memory and the often indirect traces of humanity on the environment, in a silent and contemplative dialogue. Represented by The Spaceless Gallery (Paris), she has exhibited at the Palais de Tokyo (Paris) and the MAC VAL (Vitry-sur-Seine). Her works are held in the collections of the Palace of Versailles and the Maison européenne de la photographie (Paris).