The photographic work of Fabien Marques unearths what is hidden under layers of time or discloses what is kept behind closed walls.
One example of his exploration of concealed spaces, is the series Der Männergarten for which he photographed the private rooms where prostitutes entertain their male clients. The women and clients themselves are never shown, only the room in which the transaction will be consumed is on display. The photographs are taking during the day, with the light abundantly present, clearly delineating every object in the room. This bright light disrupts the fantasy the room is supposed to uphold. Suddenly we notice a tension between the room and the décor, between the (too) neatly painted walls, the (all too recognizable) radiator and the several props that are supposed to evoke some exotic location. As such, these images focus on the architecture of desire, or rather, on the imaginative but also somewhat clumsy gathering of different objects to create an immersive space in which the sexual fantasy of the client can unfold. While the revealing powers of the indiscriminate photographic medium are used to great effect in this series, the use of the same medium to delve into the intricateness of the temporal layers that make up our world seems a lot trickier. As a medium that is bound to the ‘here and now’ it only captures what is present in this moment, in this space. But at the same time, what (or who) is photographed, takes part in a larger history, and this history, hidden yet present, is something that the photographic image, precisely because it embalms its subject in the timeless time of an everlasting moment, is pre-eminently able to reactivate.
In his work With all my heart I kiss you, a study of Verdun, at the same time a real city but also a name forever linked to the horrors of the first World War, Marques opens up the photographic image to accommodate the rich history of the city and the historical violence it stands for. This is first and foremost obtained by combining different media (photographs, texts, archival images, slide projections, postcards, objects, etc.) into a spatial installation. The incessant dialogue between these elements creates an unstable environment where no media can claim precedence over another. Here, as in other works, Marques puts the photographic image under undue pressure, undoing its appearance of being a fixed and immutable representation of the world. The frame collapses: instead of a rigid barrier, it becomes porous, unable to protect the content from being affected by what surrounds it. Instead of a simple statement of fact, the photographic image becomes once again a telltale image, freely dispensing the multiple histories contained within.

Steven Humblet, July 2017

Steven Humblet is an art critic, independent author, researcher and curator, specialised in photography. He lives and works in Brussels.