Arnaud Fonquerne is a photographer devoted to human stories, and to the memory and resilience of societies in crisis. This same narrative rigor is what he brings to the digital sphere through Studio Dyscern, which he founded to help committed changemakers build an online presence that truly reflects who they are.
The Spark
Arnaud Fonquerne isn’t yet a photographer, not officially. He travels to the West Bank for a project that, at first, has nothing to do with a calling: documenting the 20th anniversary of the Oslo Accords, ratified in 1993 between Israel and Palestine. From this trip comes Broken Hopes, a black-and-white web documentary. It will become the first chapter of a body of work that never stops.
What endures
Self-taught, a photographer since 2015, Arnaud has built his vision around a question that runs through all his projects: what becomes of a society when it fractures — what does it keep in memory? From Potosí (Les fantômes de Potosí) to Paris (Nuit Debout, Chaleur Sociale), from the climate crisis (COP21, The Last Push) to the intimate (Windowed, Here but not there), his lens consistently settles where tension, revolt, or social imbalance leave their mark on faces.
The portrait becomes his tool of choice — not as aesthetic device, but as a documentary means of informing on the world. Each long-term project probes the historical or sociological weight of its subject, driven by one conviction: the human remains the most honest point of entry into the collective.
The portrait becomes his tool of choice — not as aesthetic device, but as a documentary means of informing on the world. Each long-term project probes the historical or sociological weight of its subject, driven by one conviction: the human remains the most honest point of entry into the collective.
Between journalism and artistic gesture
He never fully settles between the two. Documenting to inform, yes, but also giving voice — in a sometimes dreamlike register — to what would otherwise remain silent. It’s this deliberate tension, between journalistic intent and artistic gesture, that shapes his way of narrating memory and resilience.
From image to experience
Residencies
Screenings
Collaborations
Awards
Workshop
This same rigor, understanding a subject in depth before choosing how to tell it, also guides the other side of his work. For 15 years, Arnaud has moved between public-interest communication and the creation of interactive tools. He enjoys immersing himself in content, understanding how it works, and imagining the best way to convey information to create experiences that carry meaning. Solidarity and cultural projects hold a special place for him.
He has had the chance to collaborate with Agence Française de Développement, AIDES, Amnesty International, Action contre la Faim, La Cimade, Médecins du Monde, and Samusocial de Paris, along with numerous festivals. He also teaches at EMI and works regularly with social and solidarity economy organizations.
In 2014, he founded Dyscern to place emotion and narrative at the center of his projects. His goal: for every creation — whether a photograph or a digital tool — to do more than inform, but to tell a story.
He has had the chance to collaborate with Agence Française de Développement, AIDES, Amnesty International, Action contre la Faim, La Cimade, Médecins du Monde, and Samusocial de Paris, along with numerous festivals. He also teaches at EMI and works regularly with social and solidarity economy organizations.
In 2014, he founded Dyscern to place emotion and narrative at the center of his projects. His goal: for every creation — whether a photograph or a digital tool — to do more than inform, but to tell a story.