4stones in Blue

Inspired by the hope of a world without borders, 4stones is an ode to freedom.

For this new series, I chose cyanotype, a photographic process invented in 1842. I coat fine-grained watercolor paper with a light-sensitive solution, then arrange the four pebbles—the 4stones—in compositions imagined by people I have met over the course of the project.

When exposed to ultraviolet light, the areas of uncovered paper turn the characteristic Prussian blue of cyanotype, while the areas protected by the stones remain white. The shadows trace outlines that can appear mysterious, sensual or fleeting. I favor natural sunlight, whose changing intensity and angle give each print its own tonal character.

The photogram is the most literal translation of 4stones: the arrangement of the stones is faithfully reproduced, yet each exposure produces a slightly different image. Depending on the time of day, the angle of the sun or the intensity of ultraviolet light, the shadows and shades of blue subtly shift. Each print is therefore unique, just like the composition imagined by the person who created it.

The project was born on a beach in Tarifa, Andalusia, in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. I walked for hours, trying to make sense of what had happened, and collected a number of pebbles.

Back in Paris, I selected four of them and arranged them on a shelf in a particular order. Whenever I dusted the shelf, I put them back in exactly the same positions. One day, when I returned from a trip, I discovered that their arrangement had changed. The friends who had been looking after my cats had come up with a new composition. That was when I got the idea of inviting people I met over the years to arrange the four stones themselves. 4stones was born.

Since then, the ritual has remained unchanged. I invite the people I meet to arrange the pebbles freely on a neutral surface, then photograph their arrangement to preserve an accurate record of it. I later recreate the arrangement to produce the final image.

Born in France, I spent many years living abroad. The stones come from Spain and have traveled across continents; the people I invite come from all over the world, and our encounters take place in many different places. Over the years, 4stones has become a space for encounters that transcends borders and reveals, through a simple gesture, each person's individuality, regardless of their origins, culture, religion, gender, socioeconomic status or age.

In a world shaped by borders and divisions, 4stones offers a simple space for freedom and human connection.