Pays Perdu is a book of photographs taken in New Zealand by Amaury da Cunha, between January and June 2020. Having traveled to the other side of the world to write a story as part of a writing residency, the author suddenly finds himself stuck on the island due to the pandemic. Nevertheless, he continues his writing, which revolves around a ghost story.
To escape this isolation, he also begins to photograph his daily life in the city of Wellington, where he resides. He takes numerous images, with no particular project in mind, other than allowing himself to be carried by visions that resonate with what he is writing. During this time of fear and uncertainty, the need to rethink the world had perhaps never been so great.
“I photograph as if I am committing a break-in, yet at the same time, I feel like I am collecting something offered by chance. The image, always turned outward, also continues its journey within ourselves to reconnect with its original environment, that of dreams and ideas.”
Amaury da Cunha
Auteur, Photographe
Amaury da Cunha, born in Paris in 1976, is both a photographer and a writer. He graduated from the École nationale supérieure de la photographie in Arles in 2000 and quickly stood out for his dual artistic talent, combining image and writing. He is currently a journalist at Le Monde and an editor at Le Monde des livres.
In 2009, he made his literary and photographic debut with Saccades, a collection combining texts and images, published by Yellow Now. His first solo exhibition in Paris, in November 2012 as part of the Mois de la Photo, was accompanied by the publication of Après tout by Le Caillou Bleu. In 2015, he expanded his bibliography with Fond de l’œil (Le Rouergue), a collection of stories exploring photography, and Incidences (Filigranes), his third monographic work.
His writing diversified with the publication of Histoire souterraine, an autobiographical account published by Le Rouergue in March 2017. In May 2018, he collaborated with Sylvie Gracia on the publication of Demeure, a photography book accompanied by texts, published by h’artpon.
In 2021, after a writing residency at the Randell Cottage in Wellington, New Zealand, Amaury da Cunha published a documentary story, Baby Farmer, with Plein Jour. His next work, (Sonner dans le vide), will be published in 2025 by Iconoclaste.
