> Projects > The Bishnois
Ecologists Since the 15th Century
For over five centuries, the Bishnoi community has been living in harmony with nature and wildlife in India. With the intention to inspire people by their philosophy, I decided to spread their message worldwide via a documentary film, books, conferences and exhibitions. I also support Bishnoi Khamu Ram’s fight against plastic pollution. In 2008, during his visit in France, Khamu Ram was inspired by Paris’s public trashcans and decided to make his own in India.
With climate change accelerating, the world will no longer be the same and we must adapt and be agile. That's why I decided to focus my new talk on how businesses can adapt to change with the example of the Bishnois, who became environmentalists in the 15th century to survive: "Awaken the Bishnoi within you!"
Ecologists since the 15th century, the Bishnois of Rajasthan, India have made wildlife and environment protection their life’s work. In a world where environmental issues are ever more pressing, the age-old Bishnoi traditions can certainly teach us something.
Since the 15th century, the Bishnois have highly respected women. The founder, guru Jambheshwar, created 29 principles of which the first two are dedicated to preserving women’s good health : Maternity leave and Rest during their menstrual periods.
The Bishnois book has several editions and each book is printed on demand in order to preserve forests.
- Fine Art Edition (98 pages, limited to 500 copies)
- Book (90 pages)
- Magazine (92 pages)
- Ebook
The Bishnois, India’s Eco-Warriors - Trailer
A film by Franck VOGEL and Benoit SEGUR, broadcast in 2011 on France 5 TV (52min - Gedeon Programmes )
DVD available on amazon.com
- Terre Sauvage 2013 Award (Paris, France)
- Golden Phoenix 2011 Award - Explorimage Film Festival (Nice, France)
- Press Coverage: Télérama, Le Monde, Figaro magazine and GEO Voyage
- Winner PLANETE MANCHE 2009 (International Environmental Award)
- Short-listed SCOOP Photo Awards 2009 in Angers
- Honorable Mention PX3 2009 (Paris Photography Award)
- Coup de cœur de la rédaction du SOIR 3
Bishnoi Highest Honors presented to Franck in Mukam (India) October, 4 2013.
Bishnoi Highest Honors presented to Franck Vogel
Interview at Photokina 2012 by Hewlett Packard
- Interview France 24 (French)
- Ushuaïa TV le Mag (French)
- Fontevraud Abbey during Planet Workshops 2014 (French)
- France Inter : Un temps de Pauchon (French)
- France Info : Chronique Planète GEO (French)
- RFI : C'est pas du vent (French)
- France Bleu: Chronique Planète Bleu (French)
- Canon Europe
- Photographie.com : GEO 30 years' issue (French)
- Better Photo India
- French Embassy in Kazakhstan (10-15 Dec 2015) : Series of talks during COP21 in Astana (Art University Shabyt, Alliance française...) and in Almaty (Fine Art Academy, Alliance française...).
- UNESCO / COP21 (7 Dec 2015, Paris - Le Bourget) : Talks on the Bishnois.
- Columbia University (27 oct 2015, New York) : Talk at the Maison Française on the Bishnois with the Earth Institute.
Six walls each 53ft long and 20ft high inside Parisian Metro, Luxembourg station (Dec 2011 - Nov 2012)
First exhibition in France produced with eco-friendly vinyl and inks and 15 million visitors.
- Exhibition at Temple Neuf Church (Strasbourg, France) - July to Aug 2021
- Exhibition at Kasteev Museum in Almaty and Screening on skyscrapers in Astana (Kazakhstan) - Dec 2015
- Exhibition at Dali International Photo Festival (China) - August 2015
- Exhibition at Yangon Photo Festival (Burma) and presentation to Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi - March 2014
- Galerie in)(between, (Paris, France) - January to February 2014
- Cour des Bœcklin (Bischheim, France) - January to February 2014
- Jodhpur Fort (India) - December 2013 to January 2014
The exhibition, launched by Gaj Singh II Maharaja of Jodhpur, is truly symbolic, since in 1730 AD, 363 Bishnois gave their lives in protest to protect trees from soldiers' axes. At that time, wood had been needed to make lime and repaint the Fort of Jodhpur. When Maharaja Abhay Singh (the ancestor of the current Maharaja) heard about the protest and loss of life, he ordered workers to cease operations and personally apologized to the Bishnoi community, thus resulting in a royal decree prohibiting the destruction of any trees in Bishnoi territory. POLKA magazine published an article.
- Prieuré St Vincent (Chartres, France) - November to December 2012
- Exhibition Photokina 2012 (Munich, Germany)
- Fresco (135m long and 5m high) inside Parisian Metro, Montparnasse station (Paris, France) - April to June 2011
- Festivals 2012 in France : Toulouse, Aix-les-bains, Val d'Isere...
- Gallery Je veux être photographe (Paris, France) - Novembre to February 2012
- Maison de la Baie (Hillion/St Brieuc, France) - April to September 2011
- Nature Photo Festival (Montier-en-Der, France) - November 2010
- Sommets de l'image (Courchevel, France) - Decembre 2008 to Avril 2009
GEO, France (March 2009);
GEO, Spain (October 2009);
Rhythms Monthly, Taïwan (November 2009);
Ushuaïa Magazine (December 2009);
GEO, Italy (April 2010);
Animan, Switzerland (April 2011);
Discovery, Russia (October 2011);
PHOTO, France (June 2012);
Paris Match, France (January 2012);
L'actualité, Canada (November 2012);
Terre Sauvage, France (November 2014);
La Vie, France (November 2014);
VERVE, India (August 2016); Paris Match (October 2017), Marie Claire UK (July 2018) and many more.
The Bishnoi Cooperative goal is to recycle plastic waste and to conduct workshops in village primary schools to reduce and re-use plastic in Jodhpur, India.
