Photographer Mathis Benestebe presents his exhibition “La peine” on the Triolet campus of the University of Montpellier

[Press Release] - Published on October 2, 2025 in Art & Culture, Press Room

The University of Montpellier will host an exhibition showcasing the final works from photographer Mathis Benestebe’s residency at the Triolet campus from October 14 (exhibition opening at 6:30 p.m.) through December 12, 2025. Titled “La peine,” the exhibition chronicles the artist’s attempt to build a handmade spacesuit in response to his desire to flee Earth for a destination that remains unknown.  

Mathis Benestebe, a 23-year-old photographer from Toulouse, has been part ofUM September 2024, focusing on the theme of “art/science.” A 2023 graduate of the ETPA, he builds his work around intimacy, autobiography, and loss. Driven by experimentation with the image, his artistic process focuses on exploring the sense of restraint. His work was exhibited in 2023 at the Circulation(s) festival, and he was a winner of the third edition of the Prix Utopi·e.

A DIY spacesuit as a refuge from hostility

Working in his studio on the Triolet campus, Mathis meticulously assembled, layer by layer, material by material, the handcrafted space suit that becomes the centerpiece of this science-fiction-inspired project. Conceived as a desperate, performative act to escape Earth, this amalgam of fabrics and materials scavenged here and there is, above all, a response to the inactivity and lethargy caused by a world in decline.

"In this accepted despair, I choose to act alone—absurdly alone—but to act nonetheless."

A project rooted within the university

Alongside this creative process—which resulted in 39 self-portraits documenting the various stages of assembly and sewing—Mathis became an active part of university life by organizing various photography workshops for students and staff. As a result, theUM communityUM introduced to film development, light painting, and Polaroid transfer techniques. Finally, the artist also chose to incorporate students and staff directly into his work by having them pose for a series of standardized portraits presented in the form of a giant yearbook of what he calls “the latest generation.”

"So perhaps this struggle to save oneself will provide the impetus for something more real."

This artist-in-residence program is organized by the Art & Culture Department—Campus Life Division of the University of Montpellier. It is supported by the DRAC Occitanie and is co-funded by the CVEC (Student and Campus Life Contribution).