A smiling mother and solemn child at a West Bank refugee camp. Soldiers standing at attention in Jerusalem. A bespectacled old couple sitting cross-legged on a frayed mat in George Town, Chennai. Over the past 30 years, Eric Azoux, a former director of Alliance Francaise in Chennai, has collected intriguing pictures taken by photographers from all over the world. Some are famous, some less so. But all the pictures come with stories Azoux gathered as he travelled the world, from Jordan to Israel, in his role as a ‘cultural go-between’ for the French Government.
On Monday, these pictures are being auctioned to raise money for the NGOs supported by Citizen’s Run, an annual event that takes place in August. Ranvir Shah, one of the trustees, says Azoux got the idea when he saw “lots of young people on the beach in expensive shoes,” in Chennai. “He said, ‘Let’s harness all this youthful energy for a social cause.” To get the ball rolling, he offered his ‘gallery of portraits’ to raise funds. “If you think about it, it’s also symbolic gesture,” says Shah, “He’s not just giving his photographs, but also his memories. They are a part of his life.”
We speak to Azoux, who is currently based in Wayanad, about the upcoming auction.
How did you first get involved with the Citizen's Run?
I was part of the founding team. S. Muthiah, one of the trustees used to call me ‘The Whip’!
In your opinion, what is its important function?
Togetherness. Most of the conflicts in our society are generated by the absence of contacts among various strata.
When did you start collecting photographs?
In the 1980s in Thessaloniki, a city of Greece full of wounds of the past and nostalgia. In Jerusalem during the first Intifada.
Then in Madras in the 1990s. Many of these photographs were taken in emotionally charged places.
In 2002, I curated a biennale in Greece on the theme: ‘My Brother’s Image.’ I bought a few on this occasion. Some were given to me: most of these photographers became friends. Photography, when practised with respect is a great conveyor of fraternity and friendship.
In your opinion, what constitutes a good picture?
I believe it is one that captures a moment that has been and never will be. It carries a certain melancholy or gravity. All the images in this gallery of portraits (I prefer this term to collection) are of this sort.
Is black and white more powerful as a medium?
To express emotions, that is, contrast, black and white is unparalleled. The scale of grey with all its nuances of sadness. Colour fascinates and attracts but too often does not remain.
What prompted you to donate your pictures for the run?
Getting old, what you lose in inventiveness is balanced by gain in clarity. These 25 photos of the ‘Family of Man’ (a title I borrow from Edward Steichen who curated a gigantic exhibition bearing it in the 1950s) have been on my walls for more than a decade now. One day, it struck me that they would be more ‘in place’ if shared, that is, in various homes. In the same move, this would be a chance to share wealth. It was as simple as this.
Are people willing to appreciate and value photographs as art?
We are not in a classical auction scenario, even though there will be — we hope — bids. Some of the photographers are very well-known, some less. The prizes (from Rs. 4000 to Rs. 20,000) have been calculated with simple criteria: size mainly, not fame. Photography, especially huge prints of a few well-known members of the art market, is more recognised today. I’m not sure it has to do with art. The work of Pablo Bartholomew on Bhopal, recently presented in Chennai, is art, not only to me, I’m sure.
Do you have any favourites?
Sincerely, no. In fact, I would happily buy them all again.
The auction will be held at Amethyst (White’s Road, Royapettah) on Monday, at 7 p.m.
