Organizer Information
The ECPAD (Établissement de Communication et de Production Audiovisuelle de la Défense) is the official center for audiovisual archives and production for the French Ministry of Armed Forces. Based at the historic Fort d’Ivry, the institution is the direct heir to the military photographic and cinematographic sections created in 1915. It manages a colossal heritage of approximately 15 million photographs and 100,000 hours of film, documenting every conflict involving the French military from World War I to the present day. Beyond preservation, ECPAD is a vibrant cultural actor that valorizes its archives through exhibitions, publishing, and film co-productions. Its residency program, "La Résidence au Fort," is a cornerstone of its mission to support contemporary artistic creation by allowing modern artists to engage critically and creatively with military and historical iconography.
Title & Description
"The Forests of the Grand Est, Witnesses of the Great War"
This photographic residency centers on the environmental and historical legacy of the First World War in the forests of Eastern France. The project, titled "Les forêts du Grand Est, témoins de la Grande Guerre," invites a professional photographer to explore the "polemoscapes"—landscapes radically transformed by war. Over a century after the conflict, the forests of the Grand Est (particularly around Verdun and the Vosges) still hide trenches, shell craters, and "relict" trees that bear the physical scars of shrapnel and military hardware. The residency challenges the artist to create a contemporary body of work that dialogues with ECPAD’s archival images (which include over 2,787 historical shots of these forests). The goal is to investigate how these landscapes have mutated, how "red zones" were reforested with foreign species like spruce, and how "obsidional plants"—introduced by troop movements—continue to grow as living biological archives of the war.
Categories
The residency is strictly dedicated to the field of Contemporary Photography.
- Medium: Professional photographic creation (analog or digital).
- Note: The work must be purely photographic; audiovisual or documentary reportage-style projects are explicitly excluded to encourage a more artistic, conceptual approach.
Eligibility
This call is open to professional photographers with an established presence in the French creative scene:
- Professional Status: Open to all professional photographers (regardless of age) who can provide administrative proof of their status.
- Language Requirement: All application dossiers must be submitted in French.
- Profile: Candidates should demonstrate an interest in history, archives, and the specific ecological/historical themes of the Great War.
Program Benefits & Awards
- Artistic Grant: A total stipend of €6,000 net, intended to cover both the creation fee and all travel/production costs within the Grand Est region.
- Accommodation: Provision of a fully equipped 70 m² artist studio-apartment located within the historic Fort d’Ivry-sur-Seine.
- Archival Access: Privileged and personalized access to ECPAD’s massive archive collections, with direct support from expert documentalists and historians.
- Scientific Mentorship: Connection with leading specialists on the "polemoscapes" and the history of the 1914–1918 forest fronts.
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Note of Intent: Detailing motivations and specific interest in history, archives, and the theme (limit not specified, but usually 1-2 pages).
- Curriculum Vitae: 1 to 3 pages detailing residency and creation experience.
- Portfolio: Representative samples of previous work.
- Official Forms: The signed application form and the "primary control" form.
- ID Copy: A double-sided copy of a national identity card or passport.
How to Apply?
You must fill out the two forms in this link. Candidates must submit a digital dossier to actions-culturelles@ecpad.fr
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 4 January 2026
- Notification Date: 26 January 2026
- Residency Period: 3 months (continuous or fragmented) between February and August 2026
- Work Delivery: Production of the final work by the end of 2026.
Location
France
Additional Details
The artist retains ownership of the photographs but agrees to gift one work to the ECPAD archives. The project should balance archival research at the Fort with on-the-ground photography in the forests. Applicants are encouraged to consult the imagesdefense.gouv.fr portal to begin their iconographic research, focusing on fonds such as those of Louis Rémusat or the Section Photographique de l’Armée (SPA).