Rencontres d'Arles Photography - 2024

Little Chelsea Experience: From Lisbon to Arles

Presenting LET IT BE

Photography exhibit

Lisbon, [Date] – Little Chelsea Experience, a photography gallery and cultural venue rooted in Lisbon, is delighted to announce its participation in the Arles OFF program. With a unique focus on the 70s and contemporary alternative scenes, the gallery serves as a vibrant hub for artists who embody the spirit of freedom. Named after the iconic Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan—a legendary refuge for creative icons like Janis Joplin, Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith, and Bob Dylan, among many more—the gallery is dedicated to fostering a community of artistic exchange and inspiration.

This year, gallery founder Céline Couvreur is proud to bring a selection of her artists to Arles, where they will be hosted at "A Space for Photography" (17 rue des Arènes) from August 13 to 22. This venue will be curated by Lumir Ardant Leverd, known for her previous work with Parisian gallery owner Enrico Navarra, alongside Céline Couvreur. Together, they aim to infuse Arles with the same spirit of freedom and creativity that defines the Little Chelsea Experience.

On August 13, the opening of the exhibition will be celebrated by a performance of three ballerinas dancing the mesmerizing tunes of Lou Reed.

The exhibition will feature:

(…)

Nico Malvaldi: A young photographer intrigued by New York's current underground scene, bringing a fresh perspective to the contemporary cultural landscape.

Selection of photos from the show

A tribute to the “rock and roll” lifestyle in New York City

(EN)

Nico Malvaldi captures the essence of the modern New York punk/rock scene. Through his self-published paper MANI, he pays homage to the city’s underground culture, featuring its bars, streets, and iconic figures of the night. His nostalgic imagery highlights the present, challenging viewers’ perceptions.

Working on “the paper” created the opportunity to get closer to the music community of NYC, culminating in 2020 in an exhibition of his project at 72 Gallery in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, an intimate space, predominantly dedicated to “legends” of rock

photography.

Three more personal photo exhibits followed the one in Manhattan: two in Brooklyn, and one in Lisbon (Portugal) curated by Little Chelsea Experience (also curator of this exhibit in Arles)

In 2023, finally, an open-air exhibit of twenty-five photos, printed at the commanding size of 2x1.5m each, was wheat-pasted around five locations in three different neighborhoods of NYC.

Un hommage à la style de vie ”rock and roll” à New York

(FR)

Nico Malvaldi capture l’essence de la scène punk/rock

new-yorkaise moderne. À travers son journal auto-publié MANI, il rend hommage à la culture underground de la ville, avec ses bars, ses rues et ses figures emblématiques de la nuit. Ses images nostalgiques mettent en évidence le présent, remettant en question les perceptions des téléspectateurs.

Travailler sur “the paper “a créé l’opportunité de se rapprocher de la communauté musicale de New York, lui permettant d’arriver jusqu’à une exposition de son projet en 2020 à la 72 Gallery dans le Lower East Side de Manhattan, un espace intime, principalement dédié aux “légendes” de la photographie rock.

Trois autres expositions de photos personnelles ont suivi celle de Manhattan: deux à Brooklyn et une à Lisbonne (Portugal) organisée par Little Chelsea Experience (également commissaire de cette exposition à Arles).

En 2023, enfin, une exposition en plein air de vingt-cinq photos, imprimées au format imposant de 2 x 1,5 m chacune, a été collée au blé autour de cinq endroits dans trois quartiers différents de New York.