On Tuesday, May 3rd 2011, the jury of the SFR Young Talents Photography Award was given to Marin Hock, winner of the different competitions sponsored by the telecommunications operator.

I had the honor of participating in this jury along with Marloes Krijnen, director of Foam, Museum of Photography in Amsterdam, Oriane Bonifassi and Audrey Simiana of the SFR Young Talents team, Patrick Tourneboeuf « parrain » of the winners of the year, and Alain Mingam, who doesn’t need an introduction. Two days of receiving and listening to the lives and the projects of 13 photographers. Fascinating, and I won’t say any more. Secrets of debates are obliged. Now let’s get back to the happy winner.

Of passion and reason

Marin Hock is a young man like millions in Europe, the « Erasmus clean style » as they say : 22 years old, all of his teeth and so many quite piercing.

Smiling, he spreads out a series of photos : 30 × 40 prints with white margins « that I do myself in seventy-five » he tells me three days later when I call him on the phone to find out his reaction to having hit the jackpot.

He was born in Uccle, a commune of the Belgian capital, on November 11th, 1988 to a mother in fashion design and a father in graphic and font design. Which is to say that Marin Hock, in addition to his studies, grew up in a world in which fantasy formed an alliance with rigour.

This can be seen in his photographs, which are not without the reminder of the famous « clear line » of the Belgian cartoon. « In Belgium, we are born with a cartoon in our hands » says Marin Hock, who nevertheless does not wish to be assimilated with Tintin.

In fact, this young man has the fierce willpower to not be identified in this genre. He has done artistic photography, as well as fashion and documentary photography. « I do not give myself barriers, » he maintains.

Brussels, London, New-York, Sao Paulo…

No boundaries. He photographed « les passeurs », a series of dancers intermixed with pedestrians, which has already been exposed several times. He offers himself « an instant incentive on my smaller jobs » going across the US from east to west, heading to Brazil for a commission of fashion photography. In addition, he brings back a gallery of portraits of street workers that is absolutely remarkable in the mastery of the colors in the instantaneity of the encounters. Even for someone who is not akin to this kind of portrait photography that takes over the contest, the awards, the exhibitions, the magazines… the work is interesting.

I chose to present here in « La Lettre » a series that was produced in 2008 on a psychotherapy institute, « La Devinière, » near Charleroi. What impressed me in this work, was the mastery of a subject often done by his elders. « I like chestnut trees as you say » he replies. « I like that which is constant in society. I’m not looking to denounce, but to record. »

He is only 19 years old when he takes these pictures. He hopes to produce a new series with « a new regard, since in the meantime I grew older, » he says with an embarrassed laugh. Marin Hock is seen as a go-getter, but he seems more timid then he actually shows. Timid, but not paralysed. This can be seen in the images where he is not scared of photographing.

« I also have a project that consists of producing a work on the maritime world, in particular in Brittany. The project would be following the daily life of the milieu of the sea. »

A work that responds perfectly to the criteria of SFR to support a photographer during the course of one year via key exhibitions, allocations in the form of a grant, art buying and the publication of a monographic portfolio in the « SFR Young Talents » collection.

But why the sea ? « I am passionate about the sea. I don’t know if it should be said, but it’s been years that I am a sailing instructor. A seasonal job that helps me finance photography. » Perhaps Marin wants to give back to the sea ? In any case, this young man is certainly not afraid to jump into the deep end.

Michel Puech