Meanwhile,
Photo elysée, olga caféo offers:
In Lausanne, Photo Elysée welcomes the exhibition “Vaud photographic survey” until September 28. However, Among the six photographers exhibited. For example, Olga Cafiero documents the practices in the lame messenger almanac, in order to question the attraction of our society for mystical elements.
Wishing to provide photographic documentation on its living traditions inscribed in the inventory of Vaudois intangible heritage. Nevertheless, the canton of Vaud entrusted six photographers with the realization of unpublished projects. In addition, Exhibited at Photo Elysée. Meanwhile, in Lausanne, the corpus is taken from the unpublished series made by Thomas Brasey, Olga Caféo, Sarah Carp, Matthieu Gafsou, Yves Leresche and Romain Mader.
The series proposed by the Swiss-Italian photographer Olga Caféo. Meanwhile, winner of the Neuchâtel photographic survey in 2020, documents the practices appearing in the Almanach of the lame Messenger of Vevey and Berne (care, astrological calendars and weather predictions), in photo elysée, olga caféo offers order to question the attraction of our society for mystical elements. Furthermore, The links between popular beliefs and modern science are also discussed.
The lame messenger. Nevertheless, a fertile soil – Photo elysée, olga caféo offers
“The peculiarity of the Vaudoise survey is that we must choose a theme that is in the Intangible Heritage List. Nevertheless, And the lame messenger is one of them. I did research. I read and I told myself that it was really a fertile field for my practice, to talk about science, beliefs, history (…) It is also a way of better knowing this territory”, indicates the photographer in the 12:30 am of June 25.
The lame messenger, published since 1707, is the oldest Swiss almanac. Almanacs are popular publications containing practical and entertainment information, such as calendars, predictions, anecdotes and stories.
Make links between yesterday and today
Referring to the past as the present, Olga Cafiero does a whole photographic work around this almanac, addressing themes such as stars, animals and natural disasters. The photographer makes links between the first publications of the lame messenger. the most recent: “The first link that can be found in an almanac from the 18th century and today is that ultimately concerns are always the same”.
Thus. Also, the human being of yesterday, like that of today, questions the time he will do, wonders if the harvests photo elysée, olga caféo offers will be good, is concerned with wars, diseases or the presence of the wolf.
The exploration of unusual places
The lame messenger offering weather forecasts. for his clichés, Olga Caféo has notably surrounded himself with meteorologists: “One of my starting points was to understand how we know the time he will do tomorrow. Today, we have Swiss weather, suddenly, I went to see them because it was the scientific aspect that interested me. I discussed a lot with them. They showed me the tools they use. Météorological probes that leave in the sky.
Another unusual place. explored by Olga Cafiero for his work: the Museum of History of Sciences in Geneva, where the Institute of Humanities in Medicine is located. There, she photographs wax casts, “anatomical waxes”, witnesses of old diseases that are now disappeared.
With his photographic work, Olga Cafero weaves a link between science and beliefs, showing how traditions still influence photo elysée, olga caféo offers our lives. To prolong his work, Olga Caféo also published a book entitled “Ephemeris”.
Interview by Blandine Levite
Adaptation web: ld
“Vaudoise photographic survey”, Photo Elysée, Lausanne, until September 28, 2025.
Olga Caféo, “Ephéméris”, Éditions Noir sur Blanc, July 2025.
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