“Bergères,” Photographs by Vanessa Chambard

Throughout the month of May, for the^fourth consecutive year, the Orangerie at the Jardin des Plantes is hosting an exhibition by artist Vanessa Chambard as part of the “Parallèle” section of the Boutographies Festival, a major photography event in Montpellier.

After studying at the École des Gobelins, Vanessa Chambard began her career as a photographer in advertising, but she soon broke away from that world. Upon arriving in the Ardèche, she began working as a shepherdess. She continued her photographic work, not as an end in itself, but as a means of exploring subjects that fascinate her, particularly the connections between humans and nature, interspecies relationships, and issues of gender.

In the “Bergères” series, in which she blends text and photography, Vanessa Chambard presents an intimate narrative that goes beyond pastoral themes to address broader issues such as ecology, gender, and work.