L'Étiquette Bleue by Benoit Chattaway

Drawing on media archaeology, the author examines the continuity between past and present, emphasizing how traditional visual forms continue to inform today’s image culture and modes of perception.

The project took shape in 2022, following the author’s relocation to Bidogno, Switzerland, where he was invited to reflect on the work of Domenico Quirici, an amateur photographer active in the 1890s. Quirici employed a then-innovative technique that marked a turning point in the history of photography, making the medium more accessible and widespread. His images capture the transition from a self-sufficient society to one shaped by industrialization and consumer culture. Rather than reproducing Quirici’s photographs, the project offers a critical inquiry into their historical, social, and technological implications. It explores how media infrastructures shape visual experience and interpersonal relations. Drawing on media archaeology, the author examines the continuity between past and present, emphasizing how traditional visual forms continue to inform today’s image culture and modes of perception.