LAURE D'UTRUY

The Royal Road: in transformation (2016- 2022)

When she first traveled to Iran in 2016, Laure saw this as an opportunity to experience a place for herself. Embracing this and the mystery of the country as a whole, she was enthralled by one particular aspect: the ever present sense of duality that prevails throughout Iranian society.

The series is a visual exploration of those dualities, and reflects the metamorphosis the country continues to experience: the juxtaposition of tradition and modernity, religion and desire of emancipation, and the confrontation of local and global cultures. The documentary also delves into the ways in which the rich and diverse natural landscape of Iran has continued to be transformed by urban and architectural development as a result of the country’s expansion.

The primary expression of these dualities is seen through the urban landscape and natural environment as well as through the people of Iran, whose lives are directly impacted by the dualities of their society. This work explores their relationship to their shifting country and questions how they evolve within it.

The photographs depict the shift in the pluralistic landscape of Iran and its changing society. In the midst of near-constant metamorphosis around the country, she strives to explore the ways in which harmony between Iranians and with their environment can still be found among these factors. 

EXHIBITIONS / PROJECTIONS / PUBLICATIONS

- 2024: Aurum 999,9 MagBook, print
- 2022: Some Magazine, print
- 2021-2022: S*HEROES - Anahita Contemporary - Berlin, DE
- 2019-2020: ThreeSeven x Laure d'Utruy - Berlin, DE
- 2018: MOPLA, the Month Of Photography Los Angeles festival - Los Angeles, USA
- 2017:  30 Under 30 Women Photographers - Rome, IT

- SHORTLISTED by the Lucie Foundation for the Emerging Scholarship in 2017

extended portfolio available on request