HAMMAM (1994-1997)
If in the West the steam bath is a symbol of luxury, in the Eastern world it is a place of meditation. In Islamic lands the Turkish bath (the hammam) is traditionally linked with the daily visit to the mosque, for which the body and spirit must be pure. For Islamic women it is also a meeting place where they can exchange the latest gossip. For the men – who have enough other places where they can meet one another – it is on the contrary a place of rest and reflection. The French photographer Jean-François Baumard recorded the ritual for men in a number of bathhouses in Tunisia. He photographed the visitors sunk in thought while they prepared themselves for their visit to the mosque. The steam fogged up Baumard’s lens, which reinforces the mystic character of the photographs.
