Rising the wise
France
2021
In Benin, “rising the wise” is the act of thanking an elder for the advice they have given. The “wise” are also the dead represented as divinities that the followers – relatives – honour: Egoun, Zangbeto and Guelede belong to this incredibly rich voodoo pantheon.
Without knowing who hides behind the mask, and risking death in case of contact with the Egoun’s loincloth, this series aims to capture these apparitions through encounters with revenants as well as the living who call upon them and accompany them.
“Lever les sages” questions the representation of death and clan memory.
Portfolio
About the artist
Benjamin Schmuck was born in 1989 in Paris. Having graduated from the Gobelins school, he now works as a press photographer (New York Times, Telegraph, Le Monde, etc.), as well as in advertising and fashion as part of the Kayser & Schmuck tandem alongside Laure Anne Kayser. He is also the photo editor for the magazines Fulgurances and Entorse. He is currently preparing a book on voodoo in Benin with the Helmo studio.