Wall+Paper is a collection of exchanges between artist and photographer Evelyne Leblanc-Roberge, and prisoners in the United States serving life sentences. In her initial letter, Leblanc-Roberge asked the prisoners to collaborate in creating a series of images together by way of two simple questions: a description of the spaces in which they live, and of the spaces they long for and dream about. By weaving together curated fragments of the letters received and the images sent, multiple voices emerge to form micro-conversations between all participants. Drawing a poetical statement and/or a map of these ambiguous institutional spaces, this book is not an attempt to ‘break’ the thick wall of the prison, nor to depict the disturbing American mass incarceration statistics. It is rather an attempt to trigger curiosity from all sides, to activate spaces that are often invisible or overlooked, and to explore themes of displacement and memory—and the complex layers and mechanisms embedded within.
Softcover, perfect-bound, b/w & colour