Month: January 2026

Visit to La Gacilly by Jane Corbett

Luckily the warm dry weather continued into the afternoon when we visited the 22 outdoor galleries showing over 1,000 photographs in the town of La Gacilly.

Created in 2004 from an idea by Yves Rocher then Mayor of L a Gacilly , the 4 month photo exposition has become Europe’s largest open-air photography festival and attracts 300,000 visitors.

Photographs are displayed on houses, in streets, in courtyards and in a large empty garage.

Each year the festival has focussed on a different nation or region. This year the spotlight is on Great Britain under its in So British headline.

The Festival since it started has been committed to portraying environmental and social issues with the aim of raising awareness and changing attitudes.

Black and white photos as well as coloured photos are displayed.

Ten renowned British photographers feature in the photo exposition. My favourite work by a British photographer was the retrospective work of Don McCullin.His photographs feature deprived neighbourhoods of London and the war zones of Vietnam, Lebanon and Biafra. His work captures both the horror of war as well as human dignity.

Another specific set of photographs I admired were those depicting elegant buildings which had been abandoned and nature was taking possession of these. The photographer advised some buildings were being restored and it would I felt have been good to see photos of the finalised restoration but perhaps that is the photographer’s next project!

The exposition also focussed on the effects climate change was having on wildlife. Many photographs powerfully captured wildlife venturing into towns and cities close to people’s homes trying to find food.

September 2025