A River Named Love by Emanuel Bovet and Orane Mertz Kozieja is a contemplative book that explores the blurred space between Russia and China. The authors immerse us in landscapes of porous borders where each photo becomes a riddle, capturing fragments of anonymous lives and fleeting stories. It is not a traditional travel journal, but rather a collection of captured moments and open questions, a fragmented visual diary where banality and poetry blend in harmonious chaos.
The book reflects a reality that is both tender and troubled, moving between flashes of life and the shadows of latent wars. Scenes—a seated old woman, torn posters, dancing children, lovers under a pink sky—depict a daily life that is both ordinary and sacred, inviting readers to contemplate these slices of existence as vibrating memories.
This “river” of love does not seek to explain but rather to awaken personal echoes within us, an introspection. Each image becomes a doorway to incomplete stories, a current inviting us to drift along, discovering our own vulnerabilities through these modest and vibrant scenes of life.
Clarisse Gorokhoff
Emanuel Bovet
Photographe
Emanuel Bovet is dedicated to depicting humanity and everyday realities, capturing the emotions and paradoxes that define our existence. In his pursuit of authentic moments, he sensitively reveals life’s subtleties and contrasts. Through photography and film, his works take the form of an intimate journal, with each image conveying a feeling and an atmosphere, unveiling a narrative with hidden dimensions. His work stands as a visual testament to life and his surroundings, illustrating the journey he has taken and the experiences that have shaped him. His creations offer a personal and profound vision of humanity in all its complexity.
Orane Mertz Kozieja
Photographe
Orane Mertz Kozieja is a multidisciplinary artist in search of transformation and inner reconciliation. Initially captivated by theater, where she explored characters as reflections of the unconscious, she later turned to other mediums: self-portrait, video, and writing. Through letters to strangers, she weaves connections and enriches her imagination. A journey along the Amur River inspires her exploration of connections between body and heart, while knitting becomes an extension of her identity, each garment linking her inner world to her outward expression. In her videos, she delves into themes of desire and eroticism, deepening her connection to femininity. Her universe, suspended between dream and reality, invites an intimate, sensory, and poetic immersion.