Espace Van Gogh, Arles, MNR, 25 mins, Photo : Abdel Oustad, July 2016

Place Paul Doumer, Arles, spontanious participants, 4 mins, Photo : Nataska Roublov, July 2016

Cloître Saint Trophime, Arles, spontanious public, Photo : Miki Nitadori, July 2016

Timeless hugs in Arles
 
After Mac Val, we decided that it would be interesting to organize timelesshugs during the International Photography festival in Arles, in July. The idea was for the visitors during the rencontre d’Arles to come across timelesshugs, take photographs and send them to us.

For participants, it was more of an experience, rather than a performance, we decided not to announce too much, even though we had made minimum communications. We began the work in March and organized with the locals.
People found the project beautiful, yet when it came to participating, it was very difficult to find people. Some made appointments but did not show up.
In Espace Van Gogh, there was a spot where every tourist wanted to take photographs - MNR intervened in this spot and the tourists got very angry. An American woman made racial insults against Asians (even though I was the only Asian).
An Englishman began filming up close, and an Italian man began screaming and shouting so much he made me think he might hit us.
Other times were in beautiful monumental sites, where it was peaceful, and on the street where there was much more tolerance and questioning. The majority of the participants seemed to be enriched by the experience.
Every day we chose some images and presented them in the bandstand.