Photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s “Vivre Ensemble” exhibition is on display in Lyon, with hundreds of portraits of contemporary France. He says he has photographed about 40,000 people for the project, including nearly 1,500 in Lyon over three days.
Arthus-Bertrand began the project with demographer Hervé Le Bras to document professions, social classes and family structures in a country he says is changing rapidly. At the Lyon studio, people could be photographed alone or with family, regardless of their profession or background.
Known for aerial photography and his Earth from Above project, Arthus-Bertrand told Euronews he now prefers photographing faces, which he says foster empathy and connection. He says some visitors tell him they leave the exhibition happier, and describes its message in terms of love, cooperation and sharing on a planet without borders.
