Autism Day: in Frontignan, a photo exhibition to highlight families

Olivier Leleu aux côtés de certaines des photos de familles exposées. MIDI LIBRE – PHILIPPE MALRIC

From this Friday evening to Saturday noon, Olivier Leleu's studio in Frontignan is hosting a photo exhibition of families affected by autism.

"I see this as a tribute to these families. There is only love around their autistic child". In his studio on Boulevard Victor-Hugo in Frontignan, photographer Olivier Leleu takes a look at his photos hanging on the picture rails. We see a dozen families from the Thau basin posing around their autistic child. There are also portraits on a blue background – the soothing color of autism – of each of the children concerned. This exhibition entitled Atypical tribesopens this Friday, April 5 at 6 p.m. and will be open until Saturday 1 p.m. as part of the many activities put in place for Autism Day .

It all started with school photos

A meeting which is the result of a meeting between the photographer and Natacha Garcia, the president of the Handi-actions cap 34 association. One thing led to another during the course of the meeting. rsquo;a discussion, she suggested that he take school photos at the IME les Hirondelles de la cite muscatiere. "It's been a long time since they last met hadn't had any. I wasn't sure how this was going to happen. I took up the challenge. And it went really well with the children and their educators. I'll go back for that next year."

Adventure beneficial to both parties

In the process, Olivier Leleu suggested to his interlocutor that they take family photos of autistic children. "Natacha found twelve families with different children. There were verbal children and other tactile ones. It was a big personal challenge. I was heading towards the unknown." Ultimately, the adventure was beneficial to both parties. The photographer captured "all the love that there is around these children, whether that of the parents or the siblings". And on the other hand, the families who found there the opportunity to take photos because "they had never been to a photographer"< /em>. Moreover, at the end of the exhibition, they will be able to leave with the Frontignanais prints. Like a beautiful memory of love.