Theatre of Authenticity
In the 1970s, Kodak placed signs on the outskirts of American cities listing places it suggested people should photograph. Today, this is no longer necessary because the tourist photography genre, boosted by social media, has created its own canon of memorable places for visitors to capture. The image they bring home, or post online, is at once a hunting trophy, a travel souvenir and graphic proof that they were actually there.
De Mahieu selects tourist destinations that work as “theatres of authenticity” and, in each one, takes hundreds of photos over short periods of time, which she then assembles into a single composition. The average tourist tries to take photos of themselves alone, but she seeks to highlight the accumulation of people passing by over a few hours. That’s why she chooses destinations of average popularity where the impact of tourism seems to be less, even though they receive a large number of visitors during the day. Examples include the Calanques, which, despite being difficult to get to, attract 3 million visitors a year; Cappadocia, which at dusk is filled with balloons and wedding events; Lake Obersee, where a picturesque cabin has become an Instagram meme; and the famous Castildetierra in the Bárdenas Reales in Navarre.
Born in Brussels in 1996, Natacha de Mahieu is a photographer, videographer and member of Hans Lucas, an independent platform and agency. She received a BA from LUCA School of Arts in Brussels and holds an MA in Documentary Photography from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (KASK) in Ghent. Her work has been exhibited at Galerie Satellite in Belgium, the Assemblée Nationale of Québec, Radar Photo Festival in Italy, Les Rencontres d’Arles, BredaPhoto and Photo Museum Hilversum in Holland and Utopia Lahti in Finland, among many other venues. Her awards include Prix Vocatio (2023), Prix Roger de Conynck (2022), as well as being a finalist at the Helsinki Photo Festival (2022) and the Lensculture Awards (2021, 2020). Many international media have highlighted her series Theatre of Authenticity, including The New York Times, The Guardian, Geo Magazine, Vanity Fair, La Republicca, South China Morning Post or De Volkskrant, among many others.
Outdoor installation
Natacha de Mahieu
THEATRE OF AUTHENTICITY
Nº 13 on the map
Venue: Ereaga gardens
Hours: 24h
