PARIS: ‘LA VILLE OBSCURE’

THE CITY OF DARKNESS

Paris: ‘La Ville Lumiere’. Ever since the 18^th century, the French capital has been widely known as The City of Light, referring not only to its magnificent public lighting at the time but also alluding to the city’s legacy as the cradle of the Enlightenment.

Indeed, Paris has often been regarded as the bastion of modernity in the Age of Reason, hosting philosophical and intellectual discussions on liberty, fraternity and equality as well as pushing for tangible and revolutionary transformations within society.

However, there has always been a darker Paris; one that continues to exist today, far away from bougie cafés and where government officials don’t dare shine a light on. This is the City of Darkness, where ideals of humanism, fraternity and tolerance are left in the shadows as poverty, inequality and homelessness thrive in this sombre urban landscape.

This photographic journey explores the darker traits of Paris through the perspective of homelessness – focusing on the reality of the SDF: les Sans Domicile Fixe (those without a permanent home) as well as the political hostility they face on a daily basis.

PHOTOGRAPHIC POSTCARDS

In Paris, one can easily find idyllic postcards of a romanticised era in the city. Nonetheless, what would the average tourist think if he saw contemporary images of homelessness in this so called City of Light?

A HOSTILE CITY : ANTI-HOMELESS URBAN DESIGN