Denis Darzacq

Denis Darzacq (France, 1961) lives and works in his native Paris. After graduating from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in 1986, he started photographing the French rock scene. His work is now exhibited all over the world and is included in prestigious collections such as those of the Centre Pompidou, the fnac, the Musée Nicéphore Niépce and the agnès b. Art Collection. Darzacq’s recent work focuses on the relationship between man – particularly suburban man – and space. He scrutinises the individual’s place in society, his frustrations and his freedoms. His work verges on social documentary.

In Darzacq’s photo series La chute (2006) youngsters are captured as they hang suspended in the air after a jump. This suggests an edited image. The series links photojournalism and contemporary art and can be seen as a political metaphor for the situation of youngsters. In 2007, World Press Photo awarded Darzacq first prize in the category Arts and Entertainment Stories for this series. In Hyper, in which he photographs youngsters ‘floating’ in a supermarket, Darzacq elaborates on La chute. These jumps make the viewer hold his/her breath; they feel like an act of defiance against consumer society.