William Daniels on the Pont des Arts: Mauvais air … and a great cause

Photographer William Daniels, 2007 winner of an award from the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation, will present his work on malaria in an exceptional photography exhibition, Mauvais air(1), from 9 to 28 September on the Pont des Arts in Paris. This exhibition is part of the Deciding is defeating initiative organised by Les Amis du Fonds Mondial Europe in partnership with the European Alliance Against Malaria, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the Roll Back Malaria partnership.
William Daniels travelled Africa and Asia for two years to record and heighten awareness of the ravages of this disease, the deprived populations that suffer from it and the action being taken to control it.
For Michèle Barzach, erstwhile Minister of Health and President of the Amis du Fonds Mondial Europe, William Daniels portrays with “emotion, tenderness, realism, harshness and joy those moments … when you pass from exuberant life … to the drama of those who are dying from having had to wait too long”.
Opened on 9 September by Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the French Republic, in the presence of numerous European and African Ministers, this exhibition sees the launch of a major debate in France and many European countries on methods of combating malaria.
The work of William Daniels has won awards in competitions such as the World Press and Picture of the Year, and now appears in a book, Mauvais air, published by Images En Manœuvres Editions with the support of the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation.

(1) Malaria, known as paludisme in most French-speaking countries, takes its name from the Italian words “mal” and “aria”, meaning “bad air”.

Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation
The aim of the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation is to promote new works in the fields of literature and music, to provide support to talented young people, and help the largest possible number of people enjoy access to cultural activities. The leading sponsor of young creativity in France, the Foundation also aims to promote French culture around the world and to make culture a vehicle for social cohesion.