Lydia Flem's Photographic Debut: Illness Transformed into Playful Imagery

Writer Lydia Flem, known for works such as 'L'Homme Freud' (1991), 'Comment j'ai vidé la maison de mes parents' (2004), 'Panique' (2005), 'La Reine Alice' (2011), and 'Casanova, l'homme qui aimait vraiment les femmes', has ventured into photography. Her first photographic series, created during illness using an amateur camera and objects within reach, transforms the experience of disease into a playful, symbolic narrative. The images, made without knowledge of contemporary art photography, were later paired with text from her autobiographical novel 'La Reine Alice', which serves as their legend. Philosopher Catherine Perret and writer-artist Alain Fleischer contribute essays on the work. Flem's approach challenges traditional hierarchies between image and text, and between beauty and tragedy, producing enigmatic, joyful compositions that evoke childhood and the origins of the book.