French/British photographer Henri Kisielewski on how this podcast has been part of his photographic education, lessons learned assisting Magnum photographer Olivia Arthur, including how to edit, how he ended up running a dilapidated hotel for three years, how a year in Valencia changed his life, photography and documentary media’s relationship to truth, his book Non Fiction, post-truth America and the amazing story behind his new book project, Agloe N.Y.
Henri Kisielewski is a self-taught photographer whose work is concerned with the porous boundary between fact and fiction in documentary media.
His practice has been recognised and supported by several grants and awards, and he has exhibited in group shows and festivals internationally. In 2025, he was shortlisted for both the Prix Élysée and Grand Prix Images Vevey.
In 2021, Henri was employed by Magnum Photos to conduct the first complete review of their historic archive - he remains the only person to have seen the nearly 1 million images within. Informed by this experience, and his studies in human geography, Henri’s work operates at the intersection of real-world issues and their modes of representation.
His first book Non Fiction was published by Le Bec en l’air in 2024. It was selected by Clément Chéroux as one of his ten books of that year and shortlisted for the Prix Nadar in 2025.
Henri is also the founder of Soft Eyes, a new photography lecture series which runs three times a year at Reference Point in London. It aims to open up space for community and dialogue outside of institutional frameworks, inviting artists.
On episode 283, Henri discusses, among other things:
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