It was not until the middle of the 1990s that Gilbert Garcin, a shop assistant in a lighting store in Marseille, where he led a quiet life, endeavoured to build a new identity for himself and became the artist we know today. In 1998, an unexpected career got underway. Discovering his work at the Braga Photography Festival in Portugal, Les Filles du Calvaire gallery decided to exhibit it at Paris Photo. Professionals and collectors, be they amateurs or with established reputations, were captivated. Since then Garcin has continued to exhibit throughout the world and his work is sought by directors of small art centres just as it is by major international museums.