In the small village of Simorre in southwestern France's Gers region, a studio-gallery houses what may be one of the most remarkable photography collections in the country. The extraordinary archive, containing over three million photographic objects, is the brainchild of Jacques Barbier and Élise Pic, who work together under the name "Le commun des mortels" (Ordinary People). Their collection focuses exclusively on vernacular images – anonymous photographs that serve as quiet witnesses to everyday life throughout history.
Barbier, an established artist, and Pic, both a collector and photographer, launched their ambitious project in 2013. Since then, their collection has grown to astonishing proportions, chronicling nearly two centuries of photographic history. The archive spans from 19th-century daguerreotypes to contemporary digital images, with each photograph finding its place regardless of market value or rarity. Instead, the duo curates based on sensitivity, curiosity, and the potential for cultural transmission.
The collection goes far beyond simple preservation. Working from their Gers workshop, Le commun des mortels has developed an extensive educational practice built around their archive. They publish artist books, organize educational workshops, and mount themed exhibitions, all designed to give forgotten images a second life. Their clear mission is to create dialogue between archives and contemporary creation while passing on both critical and poetic perspectives on ordinary photography.
One category within their vast collection draws particular attention: "the damages." These photographs are far from perfect – they're creased, stained, torn, oxidized, burned, or nearly completely faded. Paradoxically, these images damaged by time and use have become artworks in their own right. Freed from any original artistic intention, they reveal what the collectors call "involuntary aesthetics" – beauty born from imperfection and the passage of time.
This damaged photograph series inspired their exhibition "Dommage (Too Bad)!" which is currently being presented at the Centre de photographie of Lectoure. The exhibition offers visitors an immersive experience in the collectors' universe, inviting the public to enter what functions as both a living archive and creative laboratory. The installation showcases how each altered image tells not only the story of its own material fate but also broader narratives about how society views photography, memory, and the passage of time.
"Our work of collecting popular photographs and creating singular archives aims to give everyday background noise the attention it deserves," the duo explains. "What interests us is questioning the ordinary and bringing it to light, accounting for the life of common people." Their approach transforms modest, overlooked images into windows for understanding universal human experiences.
Jacques Barbier brings more than four decades of experience in visual arts as a collector, gallerist, and photographic artist. In 1983, he opened Paris's first gallery devoted to abstract painting of the 1950s, then spent nearly twenty years directing a contemporary art gallery near the Centre Pompidou, participating in the prestigious FIAC art fair. His shift to vernacular photography collection began in 2013 with the founding of Le commun des mortels.
Barbier remains highly active in photography dissemination, participating in numerous international events including LUSSAN1000PHOTOS, L'Été photographique de Lectoure, REVELAT, and the Vintage Photo Festival. In 2021, he established Atelier-Galerie KLOUG in Toulouse, followed by the creation of the atelier Le commun des mortels in Simorre in 2024, specifically dedicated to photography and anonymous images.
Élise Pic brings a different but complementary background to the partnership. She worked for eighteen years as a psychologist and trainer in social and judicial structures, developing deep insights into otherness, memory, and traces of human experience. In 2018, she left clinical work to pursue artistic practice centered on image collecting, silver-gelatin printing, and publishing. Her 2017 meeting with Barbier sparked joint research into vernacular photography and its poetic and political dimensions.
Together, they founded the Simorre atelier as a dedicated space for sharing and highlighting images of everyday life. Their collection, both encyclopedic in scope and deeply human in focus, serves as a reminder that behind every modest photograph lies a story capable of transforming the ordinary into something universal.
The exhibition "Dommage!" runs at the Centre for Art and Photography in Lectoure from October 11, 2025, through January 25, 2026, with free admission. More information is available at https://centre-photo-lectoure.fr/.
