The SOT LA MER project was born in September 2004 in REUNION ISLAND UNIVERSITY, thanks to a handful of students. It gathers pictures from the whole world, displaying the way everyone perceives and shoots the world.

That first part of the project was rewarded with the first prize, at a national level, of the Culture ActionS contest, by the CROUS in December 2006 in Paris.

Sot la mer, opening to worlds (2005-2006)

The photographic exhibition (septembre 2005)

Twenty photographers’works were shown in the universitary library in St-Denis and in the IUT in ST-Pierre. Every photograph was linked to a kind of « passport » (a kind of journey relation in order to know the conditions the photographer shot).

The humanitary action (December 2005)

Four photographs were offered to the St-Denis’ chidren hospital. The others ones were sold to help Amnesty International, that acts for the respect of human rights and all the more for the free circulation of men and ideas.

The catalogue (September 2006)

The catalogue extends and exceeds the exhibition, hence giving way to new thinkings on our perception of the world. New participants joined the original team, all the more several artists who took part in the Sixth African Photographic Meetings in Bamako in 2005.

The Sot La Mer/Sak Fini Soté website (September 2006)

Putting the SOT LA MER project online starts a new collecting phasis « SAK FINI SOTÉ », meaning in Reunionese Creole « the ones who have already travelled ». The website interacts between the audience and the SOT LA MER team fotr the next steps of the project.

Kréols deor / Kréols inside ( forecast publication : 2008)

How to understand the world when you have only ocean as a frontier ? How the Reunionese, who historically come from abroad, did build their representation of the world? How do they react when they discover it (again) once they have been over the ocean ?

In order to answer these questions, a collect of photographs will be organised on the island. That will be done in association with REUNIONNAISDUMONDE.COM. The photo album, which is to be published in 2008, will show which look the Reunionese have at the world and themselves.

The Earth in front of Us (forecast international exhibition and publication : 2009)

Some centuries ago, men believed that the Earth was flat . Then they discovered that it was round and that it turned around the Sun. Later, men even walked on the Moon. Each step lead us to perceive the world in another way, then our way to perceive reality rules over our way of thinking of the world. How children, women and men do perceive the world nowadays ? What do they share in spite of their cultural, economical and social differences ? How do they live global warming, globalisation and digital revolution ? How do they bear AIDS’ tragedy, starvations, wars and terrorism ? How to contemplate the future, how to live on the present ? In order to multiply and diversify the looks, the SOT LA MER team encourages anyone, not only professional photographers, reporters, personalities but also associations and institutions to take part in or to uphold that collective work, as a gift to younger generations.

Some of the benefits from the sale of the publications (2008 et 2009) will be given to
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL and to REPORTERS SANS FRONTIÈRES.