Photographs by Alpha Oumar Balde, Bakaris Traoré, Tawfik Nirnar, Lassana Marico, Hamedi Camara
Creation time led over a week from October 20 to October 24, 2025 in Strasbourg.
With Audrey Jehl, educator in the unaccompanied minors service & Claire, specialized educator trainee.
Collective work carried by Stimultania.
Project designed and implemented within the framework ofBetween imagesA national program for the transmission and practical photography workshops, developed by the Diagonal network with financial support from the Ministry of Culture. This project is supported by "La vie devant soi," a grant from ADAGP, a partner of the program. Between images.
Supported by The EEP Le Château d'Angleterre – ARSEA
On Monday, we weren't sure if it would work. We settled into the accommodation that houses some of the young people and also serves as a drop-in center for the ARSEA educators, and they arrived in dribs and drabs. Some were late, others barely glanced at us, and then Arthur Heck showed them Tyler Mitchell's book, "Wish This Was Real." And it clicked. Arthur showed them other books that inspired and moved him; the young people watched. He had made good choices. Then Arthur asked them to create portraits. Tawfik had us clean a mirror, Alpha climbed onto a windowsill, Bakaris settled into an armchair and picked up a book to pose. It clicked.
A few days later, they took Arthur to the shores of Lake Ballastière. Apparently, you have to get wet to get good pictures, though we weren't necessarily expecting it to be in the literal sense. The water was "a bit icy," but they went in anyway. Arthur, with his camera, and Alpha, waded in up to their ears, channeling Andras Ladocsi. Claire was waiting for them at the water's edge with towels and sweaters. They didn't want to catch a cold.
Arthur's final day of his intervention takes place at the Château d'Angleterre, an 18th-century castle that houses the offices of child protection services. The place is magnificent and surrounded by a park. We are more impressed than the young people who already know the place. Flowers in their buttonholes and behind their ears, bodies relax, trust is present. A little vulnerability, too.
Arthur Heck (born in 2000, Strasbourg) lives and works in Zurich. In 2022, he obtained a bachelor's degree from the Haute École des Arts du Rhin in Strasbourg and then a master's degree in Art from the University of Zurich in 2024. He has exhibited at The Ballery (Berlin, 2025), Amiamo Caffè (Zurich, 2024) and Fomo Art Space (Zurich, 2023).
Arthur Heck's work explores the tension between intimacy and a world in upheaval. In an era where the personal sphere is constantly disrupted by external forces, he creates images and installations that seek fragile points of connection. His practice reflects on how bodies absorb, resist, and adapt to a changing environment, where intimacy becomes a space that is both precarious and provocative.