One Single Planet: French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand on his ‘Vivre Ensemble’ portraits

Published on 23/09/2026 – 17:08 GMT+2•Updated
21:13

For photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand, the concept of residing collectively is on the coronary heart of his newest portrait venture, Vivre Ensemble, now on show in Lyon.

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The exhibition brings collectively lots of of portraits exploring the individuals and tales that make up up to date France. Arthus-Bertrand started the venture with demographer Hervé Le Bras, aiming to doc completely different professions, social courses and household constructions in a rustic he says is altering quickly.

The photographer says he has photographed round 40,000 individuals as a part of the venture, together with almost 1,500 individuals in Lyon, the place a studio photographed guests over three days.

Known for his aerial pictures and his Earth from Above venture, Arthus-Bertrand says he has more and more turned his digicam in the direction of individuals.

“I prefer today to photograph faces rather than landscapes,” he instructed Euronews, describing the empathy and connection created by way of portrait pictures.

For him, the venture can be about together with everybody. People can come alone or with their households, no matter their occupation or background.

Arthus-Bertrand says he’s significantly moved when guests inform him that the exhibition “does them good” and that they depart feeling happier. At its coronary heart, he says, the exhibition is about “love” — his love for the individuals round him.

Looking on the Earth from above, he says, there aren’t any borders, just one planet that all of us share. In an more and more troublesome and complex world, he believes cooperation, sharing and passing issues on are important.

“The more we give, the more we receive,” he says. And for Arthus-Bertrand, the true great thing about the world lies in individuals who share, give and cross issues on: “This beauty is called love.”