artist in residence
2025
Madame S.
For more than twenty years, Julien Magre poetically explores the contours of intimacy, particularly through images of his family life. An intimacy in constant evolution, shaped by the passing of time.
In Deauville, as part of his artistic residency, he distances himself from his family circle to be guided by a historical and fantastical figure: Sophie de Troubetzkoï, a tsarina who became a duchess and wife of the Duke of Morny, founder of the town. Now known as “Madame S.”, she becomes his silent muse, a diffuse and inspiring presence as he wanders through the town.
Julien Magre walks, observes, soaks it all in. He photographs places that remind him of her, imagines moments they could have shared, walks they could have taken together. Every day, he writes her a handwritten letter, telling her about his day, sharing his thoughts, emotions and projected memories.
French photographer Julien Magre was born in Boulogne-Billancourt in 1973 and lives and works in Paris. Winner of the 2022 Prix Niépce, he explores the idea of space through visual narratives: familiar spaces, such as family, or unfamiliar ones, such as the desert, the sea and the mountains. His work, influenced by cinema, incorporates tracking shots and writing, which gradually finds its way into his images. He captures the tenderness of passing time, particularly through loved ones. Represented by the Galerie Le Réverbère in Lyon, he has exhibited at the BNF, the Bal (Paris) and the Musée Nicéphore Niépce (Chalon-sur-Saône), among others.