Interview with Sonia Mathey and Philippe Lanson | Post-Scriptum History

I first met Sonia Mathey and Philippe Lanson at SIAC in Marseille in March 2024, and I have since enjoyed meeting them again at several other art events. Together, they are the duo behind Post-Scriptum History, a photographic project devoted to forgotten places. I wanted to know more.

How it all began

Lenon B: Hello Sonia, hello Philippe, and thank you for welcoming me. You are a duo passionate about history, art and architecture, and Post-Scriptum History looks like a visual tribute to these passions. How did the idea of combining photography with the exploration of forgotten places come about?

Sonia Mathey: Hello Lenon, thank you for having us. The idea grew naturally, I would say. Even before we met, Philippe and I were both captivated by history and the traces it leaves behind. We studied in related fields, which allowed us to explore places that few people know or visit. Over time, capturing the beauty of these forgotten places became a priority for us. Photography became our way to share this unique aesthetic and to bring these places back to life, if only for the moment of an image.

Philippe Lanson: Exactly. The project grew out of our wish to preserve and enhance heritage, especially heritage in decline. Photography lets us freeze these places in time, give them back their dignity, and remember those who created them, whether artists, architects or craftsmen.

A duty of memory

Lenon B: You describe your work as an act of memory. Can you tell us more?

Sonia Mathey: We see our photography as a duty of memory. Each picture documents these places and tells their story: their past grandeur, and their decline. It is a way to fight against forgetting. We know that some of these places may no longer exist tomorrow, so we want to leave a trace, a kind of visual testimony of what once was.

Philippe Lanson: It is also a way to celebrate these places one last time. Beauty, as we see it, often lies in contrasts: a peeling wall, an abandoned car, a greenhouse overgrown with plants. These scenes tell the story of time passing and of nature taking back its place. Thales said that “time brings everything to light”, and that is exactly what we try to capture.

Light at the heart of the image

Lenon B: You often mention light as a central element of your work. How do you use it?

Philippe Lanson: Light is essential for us. It carries emotion and brings our images to life. Sometimes we wait for hours for the light to be just right, to fall on a subject as in a chiaroscuro painting. It reveals details, heightens contrasts and gives our photos an almost timeless dimension. It is as if the light itself were telling the story of the place.

Sonia Mathey: Yes, exactly. Light lets us reveal the essence of these places. When we arrive, we only discover what is already there. We don't invent anything, we don't stage anything. The places themselves, with their history and their light, tell us how to photograph them.

A never-ending quest

Lenon B: You explore France and the world in search of these hidden treasures. What keeps you going after ten years of adventures?

Sonia Mathey: The desire to keep discovering. Every place has its own story to tell, and this search for something new, this wish to capture fragments of history that few people have seen, keeps us moving. Photography allows us to share these discoveries and to show that beauty can be found in unexpected places.

Philippe Lanson: There is also a challenge: finding the very essence of these forgotten places. We never know what we will find, or what we will feel when we get there. That part of the unknown, that constant adventure, is what makes our work so exciting.

Where to see their work

Lenon B: Your passion is truly palpable. Thank you so much, Sonia and Philippe, for this rich conversation. I am sure your work will keep inspiring and moving many people. Where can readers discover your photographs?

Sonia Mathey: Thank you, Lenon, for this exchange. You can find our work on our website and on our Instagram page, where we regularly share our new discoveries and creations.

Philippe Lanson: It was a pleasure to share our passion with you and your readers. We hope our work will continue to inspire people and raise awareness of how important it is to preserve these historic places.

If you enjoyed this meeting, you can discover other artists in my Artists to Discover series, and follow my own exhibitions.

Discover more artists with me

See you soon,

Lenon B

Contemporary painter, Ericeira, Portugal