In the Margin

I put my headphones on and played some random “focus playlist” while I was navigating my hard disk in search of photographs.

This came out of instinct:
I wanted to talk about crime because it fascinates me. More than that: I’m attracted to it. I find deep connections within the work of Diane Arbus or Weegee for example and I could name dozens great other authors. I get the connection photography wise, but also in their approach in their way to look at us.

I know where it comes from and it can literally drag me in when it concerns photography. Trying to understand the ones that failed, that our system created and then rejected. Making pictures of the night job of the police forces during 5 years, inside the Belgian prisons for 4 years, inside forensic prisons, Morgues and in the streets with Héroïn users. I talked to the last people you would ever want to meet. I never judged and they always have been decent towards me. I never had any issue. Ever. Judging people has never been my role instead I listened and learned a lot. My point is to show how life is in these unenlightened worlds. To drag a line to show how we treat each other, to break the myth of crime, reveal the excess. The failure. Our failures. The margins. Here is some photographs I made while I was on assignment for the Museum of Dr Guislain in Flanders. Some of these portraits have never been showed before. The short portfolio of the work in its context can be seen here. For obvious reason I can not state names and personal information of the people I met. I’ll then try to explain with my own single point of view.

As I was talking with that man, that could partially leave the prison (half freedom regime) we were talking on his small terrace. While he was speaking about his life, I sensed a tremolo in the voice and he would pull on his cigarette like if he was just hit by a truck load of emotions, on a shattered road. I thought about that when I triggered with my camera.

When I photograph law, crime and justice I just see humans. It is interesting to see and talk with people that can literally live on the edge of life and then suddenly be fully private of freedom - fully controlled. Our European obsolete punitive system is based on a sentence made to create pain, not to heal or rarely. Neither to understand (when it can be) neither to re-integrate the system.

Another world

I went to photograph inside the highest security facility for mentally ill women in Belgium.
When I arrived at the detention center accompanied by a psychologist, we passed the first 5-meter security fence topped with barbed wire and surveillance cameras, an airlock, and then another fence. A concrete courtyard, a steel door, a hall with a new steel door. A cold automatic lock sound. Second hall to reach the control center. The Security system can not be photographed.

Here nurses, psychologists and probably a guard or two observe the patients of the center through the screens of the security cameras.

I am asked to remove my belt, any sharp object, my phone. Nothing in the pockets, no strap either. I have a small safety box attached to my waist, to be triggered in case emergency (an assault). I suddenly find myself in one of the most secured facility center of the kingdom, for women who represent a too big danger for themselves or for others. Considered as mentally ill, they are called patients and not inmates. Once arrived in a shared space (imagine it as a “common activity” room) I noticed that the remote control of the television is locked in under plastic Plexi, everything that can represent a danger, an angle, or a potential weapon is protected by Plexi. Strangely the patients look at me, they observe me with precision. I feel almost studied. Foreign body. After my introduction: silence, and no questions.

I cannot photograph the interior of the center for security reasons again or even ask certain questions that could trigger a mood swings of the women. I visit the cells, where I aim to do portraits. A bed, a table, the walls are sometimes repainted, the same appearance and the same light as a basic mental hospital room - soul less. The tiles shine on the floor, and the patients show me what they like; what they do in their cell.

One insist to pose with a teddy bear for her portrait, an other spends her time reading books to escape, then a patient shows me her scars on her belly, scarification on her arm. Cuts that she inflicts herself constantly. A story linked to childhood.

Back in the corridors, everything is clean, too clean, too quiet. New rooms, a tormented patient lets herself be photographed. During their joint time some workshops are organized, creating small jewels and other fancy creations to pass the time. The creations will be presented to me by a patient who was very proud of her new earrings.

I will not ask any of them why they are locked up here.

I am quickly introduced to another woman, handcuffed because she is unpredictably aggressive at the moment. Our meeting lasts a few second. Happy to be photographed, she leaves as she came: accompanied by the medical team. Leaving the draw of a smile for the second picture.

I also documented the man side. On the open part of the Forensic facility. Which is almost the opposite. Here the inmates also called patients are doing activities outside with small perspectives of reintegrate the society. They were doing gardening activity and taught how to care of dogs to learn how to control their emotions with the help of psychologist.

As I was walking inside the building I ended up in a new wing full of patients waiting, watching TV, sleeping, talking to each other, or starring at the emptiness. I sat and watched. I then noticed than extremely cool lady looking fierce dressed like she was in the Bronx in the 90ies. She was sitting next to an other woman and I couldn’t stand but ask for a portrait.

She said yes

These images haven’t been published yet. I keep on working on these reportage because it is my profession and my passion.

I just wanted to share a bit more of the back door story with you all. I hope you enjoyed it.

Feel free to share or comment if you like. If you want to dive in deeper in this reportages I would recommend that you read the books I made about the topics Police, Réagir, Prisons, Mexican Morgues and more to come hopefully!

Thank you for reading

Sébastien

www.sebastienvanmalleghem.eu