Souleymane Bachir Diaw, Commandes photographiques de la villa Noailles

Souleymane Bachir Diaw, born in Dieuppeul-Derklé (Dakar, Senegal), is a visual artist who works between Dakar and Paris. He is a part of the art collective Atelier Ndokette.
He primarily experimented with photography as a visual practice on the edge of documentary and staging. Gradually, installations and texts became an integral part of his practice, as a way of experimenting and interacting with the different ecosystems of his environment. His visual experimentation often starts from encounters and discussions, enabling him to shape the memory and the emotions of the links he weaves.
His work thus closely blends his investigations into socio-cultural dynamics with the emotional complexity of (his) interpersonal relationships. It has been exhibited at various solo and group shows: Strangers’ House (Mumbai, 2024), Rencontres Photographiques du Xe (Paris, 2023), Photo Schweiz (Switzerland, 2020), Rotterdam Foto Festival (Rotterdam, 2019).
His photographs have also appeared in magazines such as Oath Magazine (Vol. II, 2020) and AnOther Magazine. In 2023, his work was selected as one of the ten finalists in the 38th Hyères International Festival competition, where he was awarded the American Vintage Photography Prize.
Since March 2024, he has been working on two commissions for the villa Noailles. The first involves documenting the creative residencies of the 2023 laureates from Hyères and Toulon in the production of their exhibitions.
He accompanies the designers and interior designers to the workshops of the festival’s partners. The second is to follow up the on-site production of the ten finalists in the Design Parade competition at the former bishop’s palace in Toulon.