Gregory Boissy & Delphine Barrais

Artistic Approach

Photographer Grégory Boissy’s artistic practice centres on a search for authenticity, memory and human connection. A co-founder of the Paris-based agency IP3 Press in 2005 and a long-serving correspondent for Agence France-Presse in French Polynesia, his career is deeply rooted in the rigour of photojournalism and documentary reporting. Based in the heart of the Pacific Ocean, he develops a visual approach that goes beyond aesthetic image-making to immerse itself in the social, cultural and everyday realities of the places he explores.
This search finds its fullest expression through close creative collaboration with journalist Delphine Barrais, whose role is fundamental to the development and depth of his projects. An essential partner in his immersive reporting, she contributes narrative, investigation and first-hand human accounts that directly enrich the photographer’s approach. Together, as curious and passionate travellers, they develop long-term projects in which text and image form an inseparable whole.
In compelling documentary series such as Te Farereira’a — The Encounter, the camera becomes a bridge through which to deconstruct exoticised representations of an Instagrammed, overexposed and distorted world. Moving beyond tourist clichés, the duo seeks to convey the dignity and individuality of their subjects in Polynesia, in the Ainu lands of Hokkaidō in Japan, in the forests of Pentecost Island in Vanuatu, on the slopes of Mount Terevaka on Rapa Nui, and in the streets of Mexico City.
Prioritising time, patience and respect for communities, whether documenting life in the archipelagos or traditional rituals in the countries he visits, Grégory Boissy draws on this vital collaboration with Delphine Barrais to create a vibrant and deeply humanistic visual archive of the contemporary world—one that strengthens our connection to reality and gives ample space to the living world.

Work in Progress

Until 1989, the Austral Islands in Polynesia held a festival bringing together residents of the archipelago’s five islands. The event was then suspended until November 2022. Te Farereira’a brought together nearly 500 people over five days at Taahueia Stadium on Tubuai.
Every island in every Polynesian archipelago has its own personality and distinctive characteristics in dance and song, language—seven languages have been identified, excluding variations and dialects—art and culture. These characteristics are closely connected to their geography, environment and history. What at first appears to be a uniform territory is, in fact, “a sea of islands”, in the words of Tongan thinker Epeli Hau‘ofa. Looking more closely, each island resonates with its own particularities and worldview. This project bears witness to that.
It brings together a series of portraits taken during a cultural festival in the Austral Islands in November 2022, Heiva i Bora Bora in July 2026, and Nuuroa Fest i Tahiti in August 2026.
After exploring French Polynesia, the project will extend across the Polynesian Triangle: New Zealand, Hawaii, Rapa Nui, Rarotonga…
The people photographed, who live on Rurutu, Tubuai, Rapa, Raivavae, Rimatara, Bora Bora and Tahiti, agreed to pose in traditional costume before going on stage or after coming off it.
The dancers, singers, choreographers and musicians posed with confidence, simplicity and authenticity. They arrived carrying the tension and adrenaline of the moments before a performance, or brimming with extraordinary energy and strength after the show. No restrictions were imposed: everyone was free to choose their pose, group composition and accessories.
These artists bear witness to a culture that cannot be reduced to folkloric spectacle. They reveal the hours spent imagining costumes, gathering materials, weaving and assembling garments, some of which require a week’s work. Every performance in Polynesia is unique: themes, music, song lyrics and choreography are continually reinvented. Rehearsals last for months; the show lasts less than an hour.
An improvised studio—a sheet stretched taut and two spotlights—was unexpectedly set up backstage to capture rare and precious moments filled with conflicting emotions.
This documentary work on the cultural expression of the Polynesian islands is ongoing. Further shoots are planned in the Tuamotu Islands, on Rangiroa, and in the Marquesas Islands during the 30th anniversary of Matava’a in December 2027.

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