Twenty faces from Bastia's southern neighborhoods now inhabit the walls of the Maison des quartiers sud through October 31st, as part of a compelling photography project that gives visibility and memory back to the residents of Lupino, Monserato, and Montesoru. The exhibition represents the culmination of work begun in 2019 by photographer Valérie Rouyer in collaboration with the Mediterranean Center of Photography.
The exhibition, titled "E Tre cità" (The Three Cities), presents nineteen black-and-white photographs that restore life to a Bastia often overlooked - that of the Monserato, Lupino, and Montesoru neighborhoods. In these striking portraits, residents stand upright, looking directly into the camera lens, as if reclaiming ownership of their image. Rouyer recalls the organic process of creating these works: "We positioned ourselves in the neighborhoods with a small umbrella for lighting. People would pass by, and we would approach them. These are natural portraits, without artifice."
The camera, positioned at human height, captures the dignity of daily life in these communities. "No makeup, no staging. The black and white eliminates artifices - we're dealing with flesh, with being," explains Rouyer, who also serves as exhibitions manager for the Mediterranean Center of Photography. This approach reflects a deliberate artistic choice to present residents authentically, without the glossy veneer that often characterizes urban photography projects.
Beyond the temporary nature of an exhibition, "E Tre cità" exists as a permanent book designed to endure, where words precede images and extend the memory of these faces. The opening text, written by Jérôme Camilly, a former journalist, documentarian, and foreign correspondent, narrates the neighborhood like entering a memory, weaving together stories, proverbs, everyday phrases, and fragments of collective remembrance.
Simple yet poignant phrases capture the essence of these places and their people. "Lupino, Lupino, only those without money live there," reads one line, while an elderly resident laments: "Instead of putting Corsican heroes on the facades of houses, we numbered the buildings." These voices tell the story of a working-class Bastia, a village within the city where solidarity endures better than concrete. "People know each other, help each other - it's a big village," Rouyer emphasizes.
For Louis Panisi, social cohesion coordinator and cornerstone of the Maison des quartiers sud, this work transcends mere exhibition. "We highlight residents without turning it into a zoo. This isn't social tourism. These are full-fledged Bastia citizens." Having worked in the southern neighborhoods for nearly thirty years, he sees this as belated but essential recognition. "This is the neighborhood's memory. The Bastia of my youth at 18 is no longer the same, but these faces tell the story of continuity."
This continuity is lived experience for Grégory Kharitian, who has called Lupino home for thirty-five years. Arriving as a teenager, he grew up there and now raises his own children in the same neighborhood. "Here, everyone knows each other. It's a terroir, with its flaws and its values. In this working-class neighborhood, there's a sense of humanity you don't find everywhere," he reflects. While he regrets the deterioration of buildings and the slow degradation of infrastructure, Kharitian maintains faith in the future. "The pessimist would say the best is behind us, but I believe it's ahead. We must keep the spirit while changing the form: keep the blade, but change the sheath."
Together, these weathered faces, mischievous glances, features marked by time, and still-youthful cheeks compose an urban fresco at human scale, where each face becomes a witness and each phrase leaves a trace. Some of the photographed individuals have since passed away, but their gazes continue to watch over the neighborhood, serving as guardians of its collective memory.
The project "E Trè cità" was developed within the framework of the Bastia metropolitan area's City Contract with support from the National Agency for Territorial Cohesion, demonstrating institutional recognition of the importance of preserving and celebrating the cultural heritage of these often-marginalized communities. The exhibition stands as both artistic achievement and social document, bridging the gap between high art and community engagement while ensuring that the voices and faces of Bastia's southern neighborhoods are neither forgotten nor overlooked.
