Woman. Immersion Automatic translate

The Ekaterina Culture Foundation presents an exhibition of works by a photographer from Monaco, Olivier Jude. The author’s project on underwater photography will continue the long tradition of cultural exchange between the Foundation and the art institutions of Monaco. In 2004, the Fund presented a grandiose exhibition of the Jack of Diamonds in Monaco, and a few years later, in collaboration with the New National Museum of Monaco, implemented a project dedicated to Sergey Diaghilev and the history of Russian ballets in France. In 2008, the exhibition “The Age of Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco”, prepared by the Foundation jointly with the Grimaldi Forum, was successfully held in the Fund’s halls. In 2015, the Foundation, together with Parkview Arts Action and the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, presented a large-scale international project “On Sharks and Humanity” - an exhibition of contemporary Chinese art dedicated to the problem of preserving the world’s oceans and sharks.

The activities of the founders of the Fund, Catherine and Vladimir Semenikhin, who are the holders of the Order of St. Charles, are aimed at further expanding the cultural ties between the Principality of Monaco and Russia. Exhibition project “Woman. Immersion ”not only represents the work of an outstanding photographer, but also allows you to get acquainted with the unique underwater world of the oceans.

Olivier Jude was born in Monaco in 1966. From an early age he was fascinated by the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea, and in 1989 became a member of the Monaco Underwater Sports Federation. “I was born in the water and always showed interest in the sea, both in youth and in early childhood,” he says, explaining his passion for underwater photography and diving. Olivier is currently an active member of the Diving Club and a successful photographer, as well as an official representative of the Principality of Monaco at international underwater photography competitions. His work, made using modern digital technologies, reveals the unique beauty of the underwater world.

Underwater photography has a number of specific features. The photographer has to work in different weather conditions, affecting both the visibility and the texture of the landscape itself. Diving to great depths lasts only a few minutes; during this time, you need to choose the right angle and composition, adjust the camera and the position of the flashes. In addition to deep-sea objects, Olivier Jude loves to shoot using the “split” technique, when the composition of the frame is divided into two parts - the sea and the sky reflected in the water.

Olivier Jude does not process photos with the help of Photoshop and digital retouching, each frame is shot with “one shot”, all colors are natural and saturated.

The photographs presented at the exhibition were created in collaboration with the constant model and partner of the artist Sylvie Laurent. The presence of the model in the underwater world fascinates, gives the composition a new artistic sound, permeated with a sense of freedom and weightlessness, natural and mysterious beauty. Sylvie poses in suits tailored for each dive, which play an important role in the overall artistic decision of the frame. Costume design was developed by the photographer’s wife, Valerie Jude, a designer specializing in lycra, as well as costumes for dancing and ballet. Using various lighting devices and the possibilities of sunlight, Olivier Jude seeks to convey the unique atmosphere and continuous movement of the underwater world.

Working on joint projects, Olivier Jude and Sylvie Laurent explored different parts of the Mediterranean and Red Sea, sank to the bottom of the Indian Ocean, however, the coastal waters of Monaco still attract the artist.

“Monaco has its own unique marine treasures. I’m constantly talking about this, and today I am happy to demonstrate it so that all divers, underwater photographers and sea travelers will be convinced of the uniqueness and richness of our marine environment, ”Olivier says.

Of particular interest to the photographer is deep-sea life under an artificial dam that protects Monaco Bay from the waves. Over time, a special microclimate formed under this complex engineering structure. For more than ten years, Olivier has been observing how underwater life develops under the dam.

“We decided to take a series of shots to show the richness of the underwater world under the dam. The plant world is located on the links of the chain, and the oxidized metal gives an orange color that complements the blue shades of the Mediterranean Sea. For us, diving under the dam is of artistic value because of these color effects. We discovered an animal world that we did not expect to see there - a hundred antiazes circling around links among colored bryozoans, such as moss or lichen, which are usually called the Sea Rose in the Mediterranean Sea. It was an incredible success to see so many antiass of this size! You would think that we are on a sunken ship or in a grotto, ”says the photographer.

In January 2018, Olivier Jude and Sylvie Laurent took part in the underwater photography competition, dedicated to the twentieth anniversary of the International Diving Salon in Paris. 4867 pictures were presented at the competition. A series of photographs by Olivier Jude of Woman and Diving, shot in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Antibes and at La Furmig lighthouse, won third place, and their author was invited to submit her works to the Catherine Culture Foundation. The exhibition will include photographs taken by Olivier Jude and Sylvie Laurent in the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in Monaco.

The exhibition was organized with the support of His Highness the Highness Prince Prince of Monaco Albert II.