À l’ombre du palmier en plastique (In the Shade of the Plastic Palm Tree)
These photographs were taken in the winter and spring of 2013 at the MAPI EHPAD (a nursing home for dependent elderly people) in Le Bourget, a town in Seine-Saint-Denis, north of Paris. This four-story facility, surrounded by a small garden and a parking lot, was located near the RER station in a residential area. Around a hundred residents lived there, most of them very elderly, and many suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The rooms were mostly shared by two people, though a few single rooms existed. Communal life revolved around shared meals—taken in the large ground-floor room by those who were able—as well as artistic and athletic workshops, birthday parties, afternoon visits from relatives, and the celebration of Mass.
Gilles Raynaldy created this series in close collaboration with the institution, deeply involving the residents, their families, and the staff.
Project coordination: Arnaud Lévénes, responsible for the La Capsule photo residence.
This gallery presents a selection from the series. The book is currently in preparation…