William Lacalmontie is a French photographer, passionate about music and cinema, with a degree in Art History and a degree in photography from the Ecole des Gobelins. He is also the official Roadburn 2023 visual artist; we’re thrilled to be working with an artist that brings so much passion and creativity to the table.
William has previously worked predominantly as a portrait photographer and videographer within the worlds of music and film. His leaning towards black and white photography emphasises his desire to deliver both intensity and fragility at the same time. His work for Roadburn 2023 breaks with his signature monochrome style and utilises a warm palette of natural hues.
Having previously performed at Roadburn in 2019 with Ovtrenoir and Throane, he took up residence at the 013 for the 2022 edition of the festival where he photographed many of the artists performing at the festival, as well as displayed a career-spanning selection of his musician portraits from the previous decade. His dedication and passion for his craft meant that he has been on our radar for some time, and it soon became apparent that 2023 was to become the edition that would bear his mark most dramatically.
Of the invitation to be our official visual artist, William said: “Walter asked me to do the opposite of what would be expected, and to work outside of my comfort zone a little. The suggestions he made were that it should be something positive, focussed on community, not in black and white and far from metal aesthetic/dark rituals we’ve seen so much.
“I agreed immediately and one word came to me again and again thinking about this festival, community and music: uplifting. So, lifting people in the air when the whole world feels upside down at the moment was the core of the idea – that and being inclusive, doing things I haven’t done before, as well as making music for the video. I hope you’ll like it.”
The full video created by William can be seen below – and elements from it can be seen across all Roadburn platforms. With a tight turn-around but a vision imbued with clarity and light, William and his team set off to the East of France to film this project. We strongly suggest setting aside six minutes to immerse yourself in William’s visual offering.