A boy jumping through fence
View of Hyères from the Villa Noailles
(Image credit: press)

Swiss photographer, Yann Gross, won the Photography Grand Jury Prize at the Hyères Festival International de Mode & de Photographie 2010. Here, the Ecal graduate talks about his Kitintale series, which documents a skate park in Uganda.

You are based in Switzerland. How did you begin this project in Uganda? Do you have links there?
My girlfriend moved to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda for work, and before she left, we used to skate together. I visited her and we tried to find a place where we could skate. Actually, we were just looking for a parking yard or some concrete roads. I wouldn't have expected to find a skate park there - especially not in a working-class suburb. When my girlfriend had to go back to the DRC, I decided to stay a few more months in the suburb where the skate park was located and started to hang out with the skateboarders.

Did you spend much time skating with the locals?
Yes, that's why I was interested in working with them. I actually spent much more time on my board than behind my camera.

Were you involved in the development of skating in Kitintale?

I went to Kitintale several times. The first year, the kids were still learning how to ride on the board and I taught them some tricks. Eventually we organized the first skateboarding contest in East Africa! It was a lot of work and we visited all the local and national TV channels and newspapers. Nobody knew what skateboarding was, so we tried to make it more popular.

Did you form relationships with the skaters and are you still in contact with them?

I call them every two weeks, and try to go back every year. I'll be there in July and August this year. We wanted to open an education center where the youngsters could get some practical skills in order to find a job. A lot of them dropped out of school because their parents couldn't afford to pay for the school fees. Now they are too old to go back to classes. Unfortunately, we haven't got the funds yet.

How has this project shaped your approach to photography?

I have always worked the same way and my relationship with the subject has always been the most important aspect. But I learned to be more patient and more sensitive to the light during this project.

You also made a short film about the skate park and the community surrounding it. Is filmmaking something you will continue to pursue?
Yes, definitely. I made this movie because I had a video camera with me. I enjoyed it very much and realised how interesting the medium is. I need to get more experience and have thought about attending film school. I discovered that photography and filmmaking are very complementary; they are just different tools for my research.

Is the social impact of your work as important to you as the image itself?
My Kitintale series wasn't meant to be just a photographic documentary. It is part of my current research about dreams and identities. The film acted in a different way, however. It attempts to explain the impact skateboarding has on the kids living in that area. The movie helped us to get some sponsors who provided some boards and shoes.

Is narrative always important to your work?
When I talk about people and communities, yes, it is. But I don't want to be too descriptive and that's why I don't consider myself a photojournalist. I don't want a picture to be too spectacular or dynamic. My work makes sense when I start to associate images with each other. I try to create an atmosphere about an area because it often deals with everyday life. That's way I'm always interested in shooting the surroundings, landscapes or details.

Where will your work take you next?

My mind is still in Uganda right now. I have started to explore other suburbs. But I never know. All the series I have made until now are somehow related to me, so I'll see what crosses my path next. I don't stay in front of my computer asking myself: 'What project can I do now?'

Who, what or where has been the biggest inspiration to your career
My daily life, the people surrounding me, and Carlos Sorin's movies.

A lady walking Outside Villa Noailles

Outside Villa Noailles

(Image credit: press)

A tree house of Jean-Paul Lespagnard

Jean-Paul Lespagnard’s tree house

(Image credit: press)

Reveiwing of portfolio at Villa

Portfolio reviews at Villa Noailles

(Image credit: press)

reviewing of art portfolio at villa

Portfolio reviews at Villa Noailles

(Image credit: press)

An exhibition of art Linus Bild

Linus Bild exhibition

(Image credit: press)

'Mischievous' exhibition at Hyeres

Walter Pfieffer’s ’Mischievous’ exhibition

(Image credit: press)

’Mischievous’ exhibition at Hyeres

Walter Pfieffer’s ’Mischievous’ exhibition

(Image credit: press)

the Man in the High Castle

’Mr. Schuhlmann or the Man in the High Castle’ 2009

(Image credit: Matthieu Lavanchy)

Interview with Robin Schwartz

’Mr. Schuhlmann or the Man in the High Castle’ , 2009

(Image credit: Matthieu Lavanchy)

The Man in the High Castle exhibiting pillows and bed

’Mr. Schuhlmann or the Man in the High Castle’ , 2009

(Image credit: Matthieu Lavanchy)

Interview with Robin Schwartz

’Mr. Schuhlmann or the Man in the High Castle’ , 2009

(Image credit: Matthieu Lavanchy)

A room with lamp and carpet

’Mr. Schuhlmann or the Man in the High Castle’, 2009

(Image credit: Matthieu Lavanchy)

A man in a room

’Mr. Schuhlmann or the Man in the High Castle’ , 2009

(Image credit: Matthieu Lavanchy)

A man standing on red carpet

’Mr. Schuhlmann or the Man in the High Castle’ , 2009

(Image credit: Matthieu Lavanchy)

A girl child in'Carriage House Waterfall'

’Carriage House Waterfall’ ,2005. Image courtesy of M+B

(Image credit: Robin Schwartz)

A girl in forest with deer and fawn

’Touch’ , 2005.Image courtesy of M+B

(Image credit: Robin Schwartz)

A baby girl napping on bed with kitten

’Tower’, 2006  Image courtesy of M+B

(Image credit: Robin Schwartz)

Kangaroos and baby in forest

’Investigation’ , 2007.Image courtesy of M+B

(Image credit: Robin Schwartz)

Hyeres festival displaying image of a ring tailed lemur and girl kid with monkey

’Elmo, Amelia and Abu’ , 2002. Image courtesy of M+B

(Image credit: Robin Schwartz)

A man with skating board in skating ring

’Peter Kyomuhendo’ , from the Kitintale serie

(Image credit: Yann Gross)

A boy jumping with skating board over the fence

’Douglas, Frontside Indy’, from the Kitintale series.

(Image credit: Yann Gross)

A boy with skating board

’Bosco Lypsonnie’ , from the Kitintale series.

(Image credit: Yann Gross)

A man skating on road

’Joseph in Luzira’ , from the Kitintale series.

(Image credit: Yann Gross)

Skating park from the Kitintale series

’Skatepark’, from the Kitintale series.

(Image credit: Yann Gross)

A girl with skating from the Kitintale series.

’Christine Sawunda’  from the Kitintale series

(Image credit: Yann Gross)

Skating ground front side from the Kitintale series.

’Frontside Handplant’  from the Kitintale series.

(Image credit: Yann Gross)

Interview with Robin Schwartz

’Gilbert Mwebe’, from the Kitintale series.

(Image credit: Yann Gross)

A with her child and skating board

’Bashiri Ngombi & his mother’  from the Kitintale series.

(Image credit: Yann Gross)

Interview with Robin Schwartz

’Musa on Kirkeka Road’ , from the Kitintale series.

(Image credit: Yann Gross)