A special evening titled “Photosophia” took place at Studio Gavra in Tel Aviv, one of Israel’s leading photography schools – a fascinating encounter and dialogue with the philosopher and photographer Pierre Poulain, who presented an extraordinary view that differs fundamentally from the conventional approach in the world of photography.

In a conversation with Studio Gavra’s director, Ruti Mandil-Halabi, Poulain described the intriguing process through which his photographs come to life. “The question was, what really happens at the moment the photographer encounters his subject? Something happens when I have the camera in my hand,” Poulain explained. “Something captures my attention. I take the photo before I even realize what I’m seeing, because the moment a mental thought enters – it already creates a veil that separates me from reality. Only later do I discover what I’ve actually photographed.”

The audience was captivated by the idea that while the camera documents what is visible to the eye, Poulain seeks to reveal precisely the invisible – what lies hidden beyond what the eye perceives. According to him, a good photograph does not provide answers but awakes questions. It is like a riddle that asks the viewer to pause, reflect, and explore. In this way, a door can open to the invisible – to what arouses wonder and reveals the paradox between the ephermal and the eternal, between life and death, between laughter and pain, and between harmony and discomfort. True photography lies not only in what the eye sees, but in what unfolds beyond it. Poulain spoke with simplicity and authenticity, yet his words resonated far beyond the words themselves. The images he presented were powerful and evocative, illustrating the perspective he embodies and lives out in his very being – a perspective that extends far beyond photography and explores the way in which each Human being encounters reality and himself.