In 2023, the French photographer Jérémie Lusseau spent several weeks on board the Ocean Viking. During his days at sea, he produced a beautiful project called TOTEM: a series of photographs of objects belonging to survivors on board the Ocean Viking and to crew members of SOS MEDITERRANEE and the IFRC.
What does a person take with them while leaving everything behind to cross the Mediterranean? What do humanitarians pack in their bags before embarking for weeks to bring assistance at sea to those in need?
Jérémie Lusseau illustrates our relationship with objects that are dear to us and that become essential at sea. A dried flower from a teenage love, a necklace given by a relative or even a passport. These are often small and simple objects but with a strong emotional weight. While far from home, these totems bring them comfort and remind them where they come from, because deep down there is often a hope of returning to their motherland.
“survivors bring objects that follow them throughout their journey. They are usually more functional than sentimental but many of them are of primary importance, even vital when they are the only thing they have left” explains Jérémie Lusseau.
Through this series, the photographer establishes a parallel with the survivors and the crew members of the Ocean Viking. “Our connection to these items can be quite similar, placing us at the same level, whether we are rescuers or rescued.”
This rose was given to me by my first love, when I was young, in Iran. Today he is dead, but I always keep his memory with me by carefully carrying this flower, wherever I go.
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