Le Beauvaisis - a project on the Communauté d'Agglomération du Beauvaisis (Oise department, France), with the contribution of Diaphane (Póle photographique en Hauts-France). The campaign was realized during the summer of 2019; an exhibition and a book were both made in 2023.
In 2019, Diaphane photographic center in Hauts-de-France hosted Italian photographer Filippo Brancoli Pantera for an artist residency in the Beauvaisis region. For two months, Filippo travelled across the area, photographing the 53 municipalities of the Beauvaisis urban community, with particular attention to the landscapes. The first phase of the project focused on the town centres. In these spaces crossed by the photographer, every house has a story to tell; each façade reflects its belonging to a specific geographical area and a cultural tradition. Clay-and-straw daub alternates with half-timbered wood, which in turn confronts bricks, stone, and corrugated iron. The walls form an atlas illustrating the historical diversity of construction techniques.
The second part of the work connects the various municipalities by focusing on the agricultural landscapes that follow one another, creating a patchwork of multiple colours in which the history of local farming is reflected, dominated by three major intensive crops: maize, wheat and sugar beet. For years, France has been the largest producer of wheat in Europe (not only within the EU), yet the sector is unable to provide employment because of the extensive mechanisation of its processes.
Filippo Brancoli Pantera © 2019