Winner Bourse du Talent 2026 : Coco Amardeil

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Although humanity has long been fascinated by the workings of the mind and human behaviour, it was only in the early twentieth century that psychological experimentation began to flourish. The aim of conducting experiments on living subjects was to push the boundaries of scientific knowledge.

Yet such experimentation raises profound ethical questions. Under the guise of advancing research, some scientists were able to abuse women, men, children, and animals with impunity and away from public scrutiny. Where should the line be drawn between discovery and the violation of fundamental rights?
Throughout her studies in psychology, Coco Amardeil was confronted with these complex issues. While today it seems natural to condemn abusive treatment and violations of human rights, this was far from the case in the past.

SHOCK THERAPY takes the form of a fictional archive: a series of contemporary photographs inspired by historical events. Produced and staged since 2024, the project explores this unsettling territory through a combination of photography and text, drawing on real cases. The diversity of framing and visual treatments, the use of typewritten texts, and the ambiguity of time blur the boundary between reality and reconstruction. By questioning the truthfulness of what is presented, the work sheds light on practices that have often been forgotten or remain largely unknown to the wider public.

Coco Amardeil is a French-Canadian photographer and filmmaker born in Toronto in 1965. After growing up between London, São Paulo, Montreal, and Sydney, she settled in Paris, where she continues her artistic career. A graduate in Psychology from McGill University, she initially taught herself photography before refining her skills by assisting fashion photographers in Canada and France for nearly a decade. In 1998, following a year spent in Australia, she chose to establish herself in Paris as an independent photographer.

Coco Amardeil’s work is characterised by striking contrasts. Her subjects, often unexpected and diverse, range from fashion models to sewers, from sharks to teenagers and bikers. This diversity of themes, together with her distinctive visual approach, forms an essential part of her artistic identity. Known for her creativity and her offbeat yet incisive perspective, she pursues personal artistic projects alongside editorial and commercial commissions for renowned publications and brands, including Telegraph Magazine, Vogue Bambini, and Madame Figaro, as well as iconic brands such as Bollinger, Le Bon Marché, Rochas, Hermès, and Armani Perfumes.

Amardeil’s work is regularly exhibited internationally. She was an artist-in-residence at the Planches Contact Festival in Deauville in 2024 and has received numerous awards, including the Professional Fine Arts Award (2018), the LensCulture Portrait Award (2017), the SAIF Prize at Voies Off Arles (2017), and the Bourse du Talent “Coup de Cœur” at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (2018). She was also a finalist for the Prix Virginia in 2016.