That’s where the magic of interacting with the flow of life happens
Featuring Bastien Communi
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Bastien Communi is a photographer from Brussels who completed his BA in Photography at the ESA Le 75 in Belgium. He self-published his first photo book, Alongside, in 2022. During his studies, he gained experience working as a set photographer and photo assistant.
Alongside (2022) is a self-published photo book by Bastien Communi that presents a carefully crafted, dreamlike world. The book explores themes of quietness and loneliness through its landscapes and portraits. An atmosphere of continuity and eternity is achieved through the thoughtful use of light, as well as the design and layout of the book. Bastien describes the creation of the book as an act of collaboration with the subjects he photographed, emphasizing the importance of allowing individuals to choose how they want to be portrayed to enrich the narrative, giving them a portion of control in crafting the narrative.
In this interview, we discuss his journey toward a career in photography, exploring his instinctual interest in the medium, his decision to pursue a degree, and transition into a professional path. Bastien reflects on his experience, explaining, “Working as a set photographer and photo assistant helped me understand that everything and anything can feed your practice; the resources are endless.” We also talk about his participation in a residency focused on photo books and his self-publishing journey with Alongside. Currently, Bastien is working on a new book titled Well, Here, which has taken four years to complete.
Words by Nastasia Khmelnitski
‘That’s why personal projects are so important to me because that is where the medium makes the most sense. That’s where the magic of interacting with the flow of life happens.’
My Narrative
Hi Bastien, how are you doing? It’s very nice to have this opportunity to speak with you about your work.
You developed an interest in photography at a young age and have worked in the industry on personal and commissioned projects. What was the initial spark that led you to decide on this career, and how is it different today?
Hello Nastasia, thank you for having me and your interest in my work.
I don’t think I’ve intentionally chosen to work and create with the photographic medium. I believe this kind of life orientation is mostly instinctual. I was a very curious kid, always documenting life in my numerous notebooks, mainly through texts, sketches, and collected objects and plants. You can imagine how excited I was when I used my first camera. The first photographs I made were of my close ones skateboarding and walking around. I had no intention at the time of making a profession out of it. I had no idea where it would take me. It simply made sense, so I kept doing it.
It does feel different today, but that’s okay. Nothing stays the same forever. Working as a professional photographer can be stressful and overwhelming, but it is also deeply rewarding. The world does try to make it more and more serious — and it is, partially — but to me, it’s important to keep it playful. There should always be an initial motivation based on a genuine interest in the subject. I don’t always have the luxury of turning down commissions that don’t make a lot of sense to me, but I’m leaning toward it. That’s why personal projects are so important to me because that is where the medium makes the most sense. That’s where the magic of interacting with the flow of life happens.
‘Before that, I looked at photographs wondering, “How does it make me feel?” When the really important question in my head now would rather be, “What does the photograph say?”’
BA in Photography
You graduated with a BA in Photography from ESA Le 75 and worked as a set photographer and photo assistant. In what way do the classic education from the Art School and the hands-on experience play a role in finding the aesthetics and narrative you are interested in?
Studying photography is still, to this day, one of the best things that happened to my practice, even though I have very mixed feelings about the academy in general, especially when it comes to the arts. I learned a lot about the techniques and crafts of photography during my BA, such as darkroom printing, film processing, working with large format cameras, and all the technical stuff. But what changed my work for the better was all the history I learned. Seeing all these different artists’ work through different artistic movements and periods created a new perspective on the medium. The kind of earth-shattering change that creates a discerning before and after. Before that, I looked at photographs wondering, “How does it make me feel?” When the really important question in my head now would rather be, “What does the photograph say?” even though the feeling of a picture is still very important to me.
Overall, studying photography drastically increased the curiosity and respect I had for the medium. It made me realize it was even more powerful and subtle than I ever thought. Working as a set photographer and photo assistant helped me understand that everything and anything can feed your practice; the resources are endless. Seeing how music artists create their music, how directors create films, and assisting photographers who work in a different way than I do all played a role in my comprehension of an artistic endeavor and the endless possibilities of art making. I believe that working as a photographer can be a very solitary act. It is enriching to confront and inform one’s habits to other creators' habits. It makes you question why you do what you do and what you could do differently. And hopefully, my practice had the same impact on those other creators I’ve worked with.
‘I find it very important to communicate to the person I’m photographing how I would like to depict them and also hear how they would like to be depicted.’
Alongside, 2022
Your first self-published photo book, Alongside (2022) is a beautifully crafted narrative of almost a dream-like world, unique in its continuity and eternity. The landscapes, although they capture what might seem to be a lonely place to find oneself at, are embroidered with portraits throughout the book. The portraits and the way light is captured in each image, the objects, the animal track left on the frozen snow, and the short text on the last page of the book, all create a different feeling — of life. What was the process of working on the project and on the printed edition like?
When you worked on editing and layouts for the book, what was your guiding principle to create the story and emphasize the main theme?
First of all, I appreciate your words on the work. The project was completed within a full year — a complete lap around the sun. I worked in close collaboration with the residents of the community. Before taking a portrait, we would discuss how to make that photograph together. I find it very important to communicate to the person I’m photographing how I would like to depict them and also hear how they would like to be depicted. All the portraits in this work were made with the will to let the subjects choose how they want to be seen. It made the portrait-making process very playful and led to much honesty.
Concerning the book, I always found the editing and sequencing steps to be very difficult. Some choices were made based on deep reflections, while others were based on pure instinct. Now that a few years have passed, I’m still very pleased with the printed edition, which, to me, means I had made the right choices at the time.
Artist’s Residency
While working on photography during an artist's residency, you probably met new people, built new connections, and had more opportunities to work on projects. Could you tell about this experience and in what way photography helps with communication and discovering the world?
The artist’s residency was quite a special one. It was a residency around photobooks, and the invited artists were photographers who had a book in the making. It was such a beautiful opportunity to think about books and how to make them, meeting different artists and publishers working in the same field. We would share our different projects, create some book dummies, and write on our own and each other’s work.
Upcoming Projects
What theme or narrative are you researching, and what can we expect from you in the upcoming months?
I can’t say much for now, but my first published book is being printed as we speak. It is a work called Well, Here, and I’ve been working on it for the past 4 years. I couldn’t be more excited to see it come to life. Once this chapter is closed and the book printed, I will probably start a new long-term project. I already have a few ideas. We’ll see where they lead.
