MANIFESTO - “MY POSITION IN THE WORLD”
I. In a world scarred by violence, inequality, and poverty, photography becomes a tool of transformation, a visual weapon against injustice. This manifesto is an embodiment of my commitment to harnessing the art of photography as a force for change, a beacon of hope, and a call to action.
II. I, as a photographic activist, I stand resolute in my mission to unveil the narratives of a better future. I reject the notion of apathy and choose to wield my lens as a catalyst for empathy, understanding, and transformation. My work does not merely capture scenes; it captures the essence of a collective journey toward a world liberated from violence, inequality, and poverty.
III. The streets bear witness to the darkest facets of society, where violence thrives and poverty casts its shadow. Through my lens, these streets become a canvas for conveying the resilience, strength, and unity of those who rise against adversity. I am not a bystander; I am a storyteller who amplifies the voices of those who fight for peace amidst turmoil.
IV. In the faces of those affected by violence and poverty, I find stories of resilience that inspire transformation. My manifesto compels me to illuminate the dignity, courage, and determination that lie within these faces, breaking stereotypes and fostering empathy. Each portrait becomes a mirror reflecting the shared humanity that transcends social boundaries.
V. Photography is not merely a medium; it is a tool for empowerment. My manifesto binds me to use my art to empower individuals and communities by shedding light on their struggles and triumphs. I document initiatives, grassroots movements, and acts of kindness that pave the way for a more just and equitable society.
VI. Hope is the cornerstone of change. I vow to capture the flickering flames of hope in the midst of despair, to create images that uplift spirits and ignite aspirations. My eyes seeks out those moments when the sun pierces through the clouds of desolation, reminding us all that a brighter future is within reach.
VII. Awareness begets action. My photographs activism serves as a catalyst for discourse, introspection, and ultimately, action. I am committed to sparking conversations, challenging complacency, and mobilizing communities to stand against violence and poverty. Through my work, I aim to provoke change-makers to step forward and transform our world.
VIII. Beneath the surface of poverty lies a complexity that is often overlooked. I pledge to uncover the layers of systemic injustice, to expose the roots of inequality, and to lay bare the urgent need for change. My manifesto demands that my work not only raise awareness but also ignite conversations that lead to tangible solutions.
IX. Photography is my voice, my advocacy, and my battle cry. I declare that my eyes will remain unwavering in its pursuit of justice, equality, and a better future. My manifesto reminds me that each photograph is a brushstroke on the canvas of societal evolution, contributing to a masterpiece of compassion, understanding, and change.
Conclusion
Entwined within this manifesto is my unwavering dedication to photography activism. Through the lens of my camera, I pledge to capture not only the harsh realities that plague our world, but also the resilience, unity, and hope that inspire transformation. With every click, I become a storyteller of a future where violence and poverty are relics of the past, and compassion and justice reign supreme. You can kill me as the messenger but not my message.
—Brice Gelot
MANIFESTO - “REALITY DOES NOT LIE”
I. We are entering an era in which an image no longer confirms anything. A photograph can now be flawless, realistic, moving, and yet never have taken place. Reality can be simulated as perfectly as it can be captured. Photography has lost its role as proof, but it has not lost its necessity. In the face of infinite fabrication, the act of witnessing remains vital.
II. An AI can imitate a style, manufacture a scene, invent a street, a body, a face, or a beam of light. What it cannot do is stand in a cramped backstage room with an artist seconds before walking on stage. It cannot wait in the rain for a stranger’s trust, share the silence of a moment where one look grants access, nor experience the acceptance, rejection, surprise, or transformation that happens when two human beings meet. Photography is, before anything else, a relationship—and no relationship can be generated. In my images, the subject is never just what you see, but the human exchange that made the image possible.
III. To photograph the world as it is has become a political act. It is resistance against simplification, manufactured illusion, permanent acceleration, and the disappearance of the tangible. It is a stance against the idea that the fabricated is more seductive than what truly exists. I document because reality does not need to be invented to be powerful—it only needs to be lived.
IV. To be a photographer is to agree to be somewhere. To stand in front of someone, in front of oneself, and in front of a moment that will not return. Every photograph I make carries the weight of presence: the journey to reach a place, the effort to be accepted, the risk taken to capture the image, and the miracle of having witnessed it. A photograph, to me, is not an image—it is a condensed experience.
V. In a world overflowing with infinite images, I choose the finite. I choose existing light, faces shaped by time, scenes that smell of dust, sweat, fatigue, and joy. I choose streets with memory, artists whose eyes carry life, and photography that wears out shoes rather than processors. I choose the world that exists without needing to be computed.
VI. Every image I create says: “I was there. This happened. Someone lived it.” In a world where reality can be reconstructed flawlessly, the most precious proof is human presence. Photography, now more than ever, is a record of existence.
VII. My photography is not fabrication. It is a fragment of history, a piece of life, a trace of passage, and a position in the world. A print is an imprint—a testimony left by a human who walked through something real and decided it mattered enough to record.
VIII. This manifesto is my signature. My photography does not search for perfection, but for truth—truth like a breath, a tension, a confrontation, the pulse of a city, the fatigue of a tour, the fleeting instant that will never return. In a world where images can lie perfectly, I work so that mine have nothing to prove. They do not need to convince. They have lived.
Conclusion
I will continue to photograph the real world, not out of nostalgia but out of conviction: as long as human beings exist, there will remain something that no machine can ever experience. And that—encounter, presence, existence—is the only thing still worth photographing. The image no longer proves anything. I become the proof.
—Brice Gelot