Bérangère Fromont's République Captures

Photographer Bérangère Fromont released her photo book 'République' on August 31, 2026. The project presents elegant portraits of the young skateboarders who frequent Paris's Place de la République, a site she says they have claimed as their own.

According to a report in Dazed, Fromont spent three years on the analogue-only project. She used a medium-format Mamiya film camera under harsh summer sunlight to capture her subjects, whom she calls the 'Princes of the Square'.

The Princes of the Square

Fromont told Dazed she initially aimed to document the square itself. Her focus shifted. "Spending time there, I quickly realised they are its main inhabitants, in that they’re always present, no matter what’s going on in the city or the world," she said. The photographer notes that boys vastly outnumber girls in this community.

Her tightly framed images transform the public plaza into a dramatic stage. The skaters' meditative faces and bruised torsos are highlighted by the stark light. Fromont sees a performative aspect to their presence, as they show off for passersby.

A Quieter Form of Resistance

The concept of resistance is central to Fromont's work. In 'République', she finds it not in political protest but in the skaters' lifestyle. She describes their act of repurposing public structures for playful, non-commercial pursuits as a form of defiance.

Fromont argues that choosing gentleness is a radical act for youth facing an uncertain future. "They’re not raising their fists or shouting slogans," she explained. "They’re engaged in a quieter, more poetic kind of resistance, expressed by their lifestyle. I was really drawn to that."

Her portraits aim to capture a contrast between vulnerability and self-assuredness. She sought to evoke their grace alongside their visible scars and melancholic gazes.

An Ordeal of Process and Patience

Fromont's method was physically demanding. She shot with a 50mm lens on a heavy film camera, cropping images later to isolate details. The work required returning daily, often in 40-degree heat, with equipment weighing four kilos.

She compares her 'failure-plagued' process to that of the skaters themselves. Both pursuits require many variables to align. "They need good technique, smooth ground, grit and a moment of grace to nail their manoeuvres," Fromont said. Their persistent mindset, she adds, fueled her own determination to continue the project.

Timeless Beauty in Youth

The photographer deliberately composed her images to create visual harmony with the square's bronze statues and stone figures. She sought a timeless, marble-like quality in the faces and bodies of her subjects.

"It’s my way of saying that this beauty really exists," Fromont recalled. "It’s not fabricated; I simply captured it." Her admiration for the pensive skaters and young onlookers is evident in the careful, sculptural treatment of light.

The photo book 'République' is published by Chose Commune. An accompanying exhibition will be held at the Institut pour la Photographie in Lille from September 18, 2026, to January 16, 2027.