Tale of two cities

People & places are interconnected for photographer Stephane Herbert

In the 30 photographs of the various buildings and spaces in Chandigarh and Brasilia, captured by photographer Stephane Herbert and exhibited here at the Alliance Francaise, there’s a common sight and thread — people. Be it the cathedral in Brasilia or our Open Hand, the photographs are live and living, with Stephane effortlessly connecting concrete with life. “I cannot consider architecture without people. It’s important to feel that these places are for living,’’ Stephane grew up in Le Corbusier’s building of Firminy in France in the ‘80s, so to capture Chandigarh was a natural and intrinsic desire of this photographer. For the last 20 years, Herbert who’s based in Paris has been traveling to the Middle-East Central Asia and the Americas and has done a range of work including a Bollywood project a few years back and does not restrict himself to a genre. Trying to capture these two cities, admits Herbert, was a challenge, given the “aesthetic of fluidity” of Brasilia and the “unspeakable space” of Chandigarh. “But a striking similarity is that both Brasilia and Chandigarh are open cities, open for free movements, open to winds and lights and nature and there’s no conflict between nature and the urbanization,’’ Herbert takes you around the imaginary kingdom of the Rock Garden, the new-age pyramids in Brasilia, a man basking in the sun near the Gandhi Bhavan at Panjab University, the insides of the tower of shadows here, play of light and people in the massive Assembly, a simple red brick house in Chandigarh, the wide roads left free for bikers and jogger on Sundays in Brasilia…The sights are simple, calming and come with feelings and emotions. What strikes Herbert most about Chandigarh is how simplicity is comfortable, the massive aesthetics of concrete and the way people are using these spaces. “There’s reconciliation with spaces and nature and these two cities make us reflect on how we can live a city. Brasilia and Chandigarh, two modern and human cities have found their souls,’’ Herbert is quick to add that there are four million trees in Brasilia and now wishes to click the vibrant Mumbai. Breathe in the views!