The Other Side of IDs
In the book “Verso”, Thomas Sauvin revisits the collection of photo IDs he gathered in China during the past fifteen years, looking at them from the back.
Exposing the photographs to a strong light source, you can see handwritten notes inscribed in the back, stamps and stains of the time, juxtaposing with mysterious faces of people who are no longer in this world. While their features and expressions are fading, the writing brings up concrete, immediate details of their lives.
The image is inseparable from its support, it becomes one with it. People look back at the viewer from an indefinite past, feeling remote and present at the same time. The writing pushes us to think: what is written on the back of our IDs? If someone collects them one day, what could they reveal about us?
The book “Verso” by Thomas Sauvin is published by RVB and available at the price of 45 Euro.
