As part of a partnership between Le Soir and the Museum of Photography, the Galerie du Soir showcases young artists. Currently, the exhibition Julie Mignon. La ferme des Halleux is on display until January 24, 2027, with a vernissage on October 3rd at 6:30 PM. This project includes a curated selection at the museum, a portfolio in the magazine Photographie ouverte, a presentation in the pages of Le Soir, and a selection on the website www.lesoir.be.
Unlike many young photographers focused on their personal lives, Julie Mignon turns her gaze outward, exploring the world of a farm. Her work gives equal importance to the humans who live there and the livestock, an essential element of this environment.
Passionate about photography since childhood, Mignon took courses at the Academy of Fine Arts in Verviers and then at Saint-Luc Liège. After a period of exploration in other fields such as languages and hotel management, she felt the absence of photography. She resumed her practice, initially in a studio, before turning to field reporting and portraiture.
Her return to her hometown, Verviers, helped her find her bearings before she discovered the agricultural world. Her approach combines a documentary aspect with a portrait-inspired technique, seeking the right distance and gaze. She describes farm work as repetitive, requiring keen observation to capture subtle details.
Mignon expresses a closeness and complicity with her subjects, whether human or animal. She admits to being more reserved with people, trying not to disturb them in their work, although she has sometimes asked models to stay still to capture a perfect moment. With animals, the interaction is more natural, to the point of talking to them as if they were humans, which is reflected in the spontaneity of her shots.
