The World Within - PBF05 / Patrick Messina
21 January - 27 March 2021
Patrick Messina lives in Pantin, on the outskirts of Paris. He went through lockdown with Alma, Côme, and Joseph, watching his two children at home and observing what was going on outside in the street. Everyone seems to want to escape. Joseph (7 yrs.) played Animal Crossing on his screen and skipped in the road. Alma (20 yrs.) read her books avidly. His apartment overlooks the Stade Charles-Auray, a venue for sport and meetings. It is open year-round and attracts many young people. During the early days of lockdown, the emptiness and silence around the stadium was astonishing. But very soon, every day at 6:00 p.m., this heavy silence was broken by youngsters from the local area wanting to enjoy their sport. They climbed over the bolted gates without a second thought. Flouting the ban on gatherings, they all got together amid general friendly banter.
