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"Far from the Sky" Lecture by Laurent Ballesta
In the icy, crystal-clear waters of Antarctica, in the murky seas of the Philippines, or in the depths off the coast of Corsica—where light fades and human presence is scarce—nature endures and takes on astonishing forms.
Dates and times
Friday, October 2, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Address
Marseille Wharf, Eure Basin
For more than ten years, Laurent Ballesta has been exploring—and above all, documenting—these extreme environments. The risks are real and require extended stints in the field, stringent safety protocols, a determination bordering on stubbornness, and a physical commitment that takes a toll on the body. His images are the result of these expeditions, undertaken with discipline, patience, and passion.
Far from the Skytakes youto vast, little-known territories: deep reefs, underwater mountains, and inaccessible landscapes that have yet to be fully explored. In these harsh environments, living creatures thrive and, above all, reinvent themselves. Uniqueness is everywhere, and these creatures demonstrate adaptations that are both improbable and harmonious.
Laurent Ballesta
A nature photographer, a biologist by training, and a professional diver, Laurent Ballesta has been pursuing these three passions—fins on his feet and mask securely in place—ever since his childhood in the Hérault region. Very early on, his focus turned to hard-to-reach depths and rare or elusive creatures, while never losing sight of his goal: to bring back visual proof of them. His first publications appeared in *Paris Match*, featuring a local series dedicated to the murky waters of the Gulf of Aigues-Mortes, the nutrient-rich waters of the Thau Lagoon, and the crystal-clear waters of the Buèges Spring on the Causses de la Selle. This initial exploration of a nearby region already foreshadowed a unique trajectory: that of a photographer for whom the image becomes a means of exploration as much as an artistic expression. Over the years, Laurent Ballesta has built a body of work in which scientific rigor dialogues with sensitivity, and emotion arises from the encounter between humans and almost unknown worlds.
His dreams of exploration lead him to the ocean’s most hidden realms. Often, they lead him to develop new diving techniques in order to reach these inaccessible worlds that remain largely unknown. His images then reveal never-before-seen scenes: the nighttime hunt of the sharks of Fakarava, the spawning of Pacific groupers, the deep-sea gardens of Antarctica, and even the ancient silhouette of the coelacanth.
For more than thirty years, he has been pushing the boundaries of diving by inventing new techniques to reach the unreachable—and to bring back visual proof of his exploits. His photographs straddle the line between art and science, fueled by the rigor of a naturalist and the intuition of a poet. A four-time winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award, presented by the Natural History Museum in London—the only person to have won this top honor twice in the competition’s 40-year history—he has also been named a Knight of the Order of Maritime Merit.
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