About the photographer

Valentin Valette is a French artist based in Tunisia, with a focus on sociology and anthropology. His research centres on memory processes and displacement phenomena, whether long-term or temporary, voluntary or forced, and the impact these have on the environment and territorialities. 

Valette is deeply committed to exploring the emotions underlying migratory situations, including exile, refuge-seeking, and returns to one's "land of origins." The transmission of personal or family memories, stories, emotions, and histories are key aspects of his approach. Temporalities, whether past, present, or future, play a crucial role in helping him grasp the issues tied to historical or contemporary displacements, which are often interconnected with social or territorial spaces. 

His project Ashes of the Arabian Pearl (2021-2023) examines the economic development and territorial planning of the Sultanate of Oman. This work spans the monarchic transition between the beloved Sultan Qaboos (1970-2020), who oversaw unprecedented growth, and his cousin, Sultan Haitham, who has been in power since 2020. The project employs a multidisciplinary approach, using archives, sound recordings, and medium-format photography. It reflects on both the past and present reigns while focusing on the experiences of foreign workers and their employers, invoking the geographic concept of the "tomason" to address remnants of the past. 

Valette’s projects have been shortlisted for several prestigious awards, including the Leica Oscar Barnack Award 2024, the Kolga Tbilisi Award 2024, the PhMuseum Award 2024, the Art Photo Barcelona Award 2024, and the Belfast Photo Festival 2024.