Mercedes Erra / BETC Group / Havas Worldwide

Self Portrait. We invite professionals from the lifestyle, culture and communication world to snap six shots that sum up their story. Smartphone in hand, they have fun revealing all the little nothings around which their world revolves: useful objects, futile objects, good luck charms, souvenirs and their very latest crushes… It’s time to take a peek behind closed doors.

“The Magasins Généraux in Pantin that BETC moved to in July 2016 is the place where I feel most at home.”

 

“I literally work anywhere and everywhere. In taxis, cafes, hotels. Everywhere. But the Magasins Généraux in Pantin that BETC moved to in July 2016 is the place where I feel most at home. The building sits on the banks of the Ourcq canal, and used to be a warehouse for storing grain and coal. We transformed it into a hub for exploration, creativity and innovation with a helping hand from architect Frédéric Jung. We thought it was interesting to tackle the move as a creative project in its own right, combining architecture, design and new ways of working. Just a stone’s throw from Paris, the Magasins Généraux is somewhere that lives and breathes creativity and gives us the space to amalgamate culture and communication every single day.”

Current crush
“The naval architect’s table that we often use as a desk. Luis Laplace, Christophe Comoy and I picked it up in a flea market. It probably dates back to the 1940s. It’s a magnificent piece that was originally designed and built for the naval engineers working in Le Havre. When I pull out the desk’s adjustable leaves, I picture all the drawings of vessels that must have sat there over the years. I love the idea of giving this piece of furniture a new creative lease of life.”

A souvenir
“Sophie Calle’s coffee table book, Take Care of yourself. The book begins with a break up email she received that ended with the words “take care of yourself”. She chose to put a positive spin on her sadness by creating a coffee table book packed with photos offering 107 insights into that break up email written by women from all walks of life. I was lucky enough to be one of them. Sophie Calle has the unique gift of being able to blur the lines between art and reality. In this one tiny object, she has managed to capture a sense of empathy, of female solidarity, of shared emotion, and of the mystery of love that speaks to me every single time I catch a glimpse of the pink cover.”

Useful object
“A pencil. Such a simple item, and one that I use constantly. A lot of our work is done on the computer, but I love picking up my notepad and pencil. I had a pencil just like this one when I first started learning French at school on arriving in France at the age of 6. For me, it’s an item that symbolises learning and the endless possibility of invention.”

Good luck charm
“My childhood necklace with an image of the Virgin of Mercy, who I was named after. Mare de Déu de la Mercè, or Our Lady of Mercy, is the patron saint of Barcelona, a splendid city where I was born.”

Futile object
“The François Bauchet console. I’m not a huge fan of the notion of futility. To be honest, I had trouble coming up with even one futile object.
Nevertheless, I took a photo of the magnificent François Bauchet console that’s in the dining area in Pantin. It was chosen by Luis Laplace, and its lines are simply stunning.
But is it truly futile…? Not really.”

Photos ©Sophie Deiss

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