With Terrains d'Héritage, Tonton Isma tells the story of sport through its roots and transmission

Sport is often told through trophies, records, or performances. With "Heritage Grounds," photographer Ismaël Achi, known as Uncle IsmaHe chooses a completely different perspective. For his first solo exhibition, he focuses on what precedes victory: the roots, family legacies, territories, and communities that shape athletes. An artistic approach where photography becomes the starting point for a broader reflection on identity and transmission.

Presented from July 10 to 12 at the Galerie Jaune in Paris's 20th arrondissement, the exhibition features several athletes with diverse backgrounds, including Donsley Figino and Waly Bathily. Through them, Ismaël Achi seeks less to celebrate sporting achievement than to understand what motivates an individual to represent a family, a neighborhood, or a country. The project revolves around three concepts—representation, roots, and the people—which give meaning to the title "Terrains d'Héritage" (Heritage Grounds).

A photograph serving the narrative

While the image remains central, the artist now claims a broader role than that of a mere photographer. He defines himself primarily as a "storyteller," a creator of narratives capable of using photography, but also video, film, and writing to tell human stories. His ambition is no longer simply to produce images, but to build projects where several disciplines engage in dialogue around a shared vision.

This approach is reflected in his visual style. Inspired by chiaroscuro, Ismaël Achi works primarily with flash to shape the light and isolate the essential elements of each scene. The deliberately minimalist and high-contrast photographs are accompanied by texts that extend their interpretation and allow the viewer to understand the story behind each image. The opening itself reinforced this narrative logic: visitors were invited to wear a sports jersey before being included in a participatory artwork created using Polaroid film, a reminder that fans are also part of the history of sport.

The first chapter of a project destined to grow

For Ismaël Achi, this exhibition is just the first step. "Terrains d'Héritage" (Heritage Grounds) is conceived as an evolving project that will gradually take the form of a digital gallery, interviews with athletes, and then a documentary series combining photography, video, and film. Its aim is to explore, both in France and internationally, how sport contributes to the construction of cultural identities and collective heritage.

Beyond the world of sports, the project also reflects a personal evolution. He states his intention to develop narratives that transcend the boundaries of sport to explore broader themes of transmission, belonging, and collective memory. Behind every athlete, he explains, lies a story; behind every story, a legacy that each individual helps to keep alive. This vision positions Terrains d'Héritage less as a photographic exhibition than as the manifesto for a future long-term documentary project.