FREE SPIRIT
Art Book 21 x 28cm, 3 different covers, open-back book soft cover binding , 160 pages, offset printing,
81 images and original texts from Emile, Marisa and Tezz in english.
Printed in Italy.
LIMITED EDITION OF 500
My way to the heavens leads through a small dirt road up a gentle
hill to a forest. The path is lined with yellow heat-burned grass
and the sun shines through the fleeing clouds in the sky,
I hear the rustling of leaves in the wind, I walk barefoot.
Tezz
Foreword
When it came to selecting the title for this project I intuitively chose Free Spirit. It seemed obvious to me, almost as if it was the right expression to convey the essence of this project. Admittedly, this explanation is a bit fleeting. Therefore, I would like to use this text to analyze and better understand this frequently used expression. Above all, I want to express what Free Spirit means to me.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Free Spirit means: « A person who does what they want with enjoyement and pleasure and does not feel limited by the usual rules of social behaviour. »
When I read this definition, I was surprised that the term is used to describe a person rather than something more general. However, this definition correctly fits this project. Emilie, Marisa, and Tezz, the three people who are the focus of this project, perfectly embody Free Spirit perfectly – both through their actions, thoughts, and also in front of the camera. All three closely align with my photographic style and my vision of photography.
For me, photography means: creating together. The people in front of the camera are what interest me. I want to understand their stories. Together with them, I want to create something that touches and evokes emotions in the viewer. Most importantly, I want to give the person in front of the camera space to freely express themselves.
It is important to me that the models – Emilie, Marisa, and Tezz – had the opportunity to express themselves, share their perspectives with me, and contribute to the project. This is how I have approached all my previous projects including the book Tezz. I am convinced the results are deeper, richer, and more authentic because of this collaborative process.
The artistic result of the photography is of course of equal significance. The shared experience, the way the photos come into being, also means a great deal to me – perhaps even as much as the final outcome. Working with people always means being open to the shared journey, open to the unpredictable aspects along the way, open to new discoveries and surprises, and, of course, lots of exchange. I greatly value these aspects of my work.
Returning to the definition of Free Spirit: I do agree with the definition from the Cambridge Dictionary. On the one hand, it is about staying true to oneself, pursuing one’s ideas and dreams with the goal of realizing them, without being restricted by societal rules. On the other hand, it is also about granting the Free Spirit to others, listening to them, even when their perspective differs from ours, and respecting diverse viewpoints.
Respect is, fundamentally, extremly important to me – respect for nature, for people, for things, for other ideas, etc. I would like to include this quality in my understanding of Free Spirit.
To analyze anotehr aspect of Free Spirit, the « freedom to express oneself and share one’s opinion ». I defend this principle, and it is essential to me in our society. However, I believe this freedom of expression should not be confused with the intentional spread of « fake news » – « fake news » that manipulates others and where only one’s own benefit is prioritized. Unfortunately, this is becoming more and more common in our society, and it has nothing to do with the concept of Free Spirit.
Along my path, I was fortunate to meet Thibault, as we immediately connected. It quickly became clear that we shared many ideas in the same direction and that we had the same understanding of Free Spirit. This encounter led to the creation of this project.
I am truly pleased and proud to share the result with you in this book and the exhibition at the Spazio Minimi Gallery in Brussels.
Stefan Rappo
« We all come from a kind of closed space, an Intimate one.
Not the one separated from what we call the outside,
But the one that contains everything at the same time.
A divine matrix, the egg of the universe,
Where the stars, our sisters, expand it forever.
Like crystals made of life, ours, all in one,
From the same stream towards infinity,
Abundantly rising while endlessly holding the Whole together.
And then, at the dawn of renewal,
When accomplished designs become miracles,
She gives herself, piece by piece, in an act of Grace. »
Émilie
When I discovered Stefan Rappo's work, I was immediately captivated both by the aesthetic and sensuality of his photographs, as well as by the sense of freedom and naturalness conveyed by the models, who are most often photographed in wild and enchanting environments.
We had the opportunity to meet first in Paris, at the opening of his latest book Tezz, and then later at the Spazio Minimigallery in Brussels.
As our discussions and meetings progressed, we shared a common desire to create an exhibition project centered around his artistic nudes, on the theme Free Spirit, in which the participating models would be fully involved from the outset, not only in the selection of the photographs but also, notably, through the writing of texts.
Émilie Payet, Marisa Papen, and Tezz Tran enthusiastically joined us in this project, each sharing a natural and magnetic beauty, a truly free spirit, and a desire to give meaning to their actions.
After a year of preparation, we are especially pleased to present the photographs from the Free Spirit exhibition, in dialogue with sculptures by various Belgian artists.
Thibault van Dieren, Spazio Minimi Brussels
SENSE OF SIGHT
do you think if we could see underwater
we would open our eyes?
would we open our eyes and explore the unknown
or would we just float
float close enough to the surface
where we could find a reflection of ourselves?
and then stare and stare
and forget we can only breathe the sky
or would we reach for the light within the dark
and trust the current with our sight?
Marisa