空白杂志::NONZEN

Shall Zou: You have shot individuals such as Olivier Zahm, Beth Ditto and Kate Moss, are there any special experiences?

Chi Chi Menendez: My most special shoot was photographing my friend Judith in The Madeleine church naked.

Shall Zou: Do you have anyone that you haven’t shot but that you would like to shoot in the future?

Chi Chi Menendez: I would like to do more portraits of my heroes in future, but for now I am happiest photographing the people I know.

Shall Zou: There are a lot of hot clubs in London, New York and Sydney, do you want to shoot in these cities?

Chi Chi Menendez: I have shot in all these cities, but my favorite city for inspiration on the party scene is Moscow, its really “youth gone wild” there. I’m really keen to get back there.

Shall Zou: Which club did you usually frequent?

Chi Chi Menendez: Mainly Le Baron!

Shall Zou: When you photographed, are there any friends together with you?

Chi Chi Menendez: Generally I photograph my friends.

Shall Zou: How do you feel when you see your work in galleries or museums?

Chi Chi Menendez: Its actually a little confronting because all of a sudden you find yourself subject to criticism and the focus of alot of people’s attention and thats not always a comfortable thing, but with that feedback comes the opportunity to improve.

Shall Zou: In addition to the photographer, what is your true title？

Chi Chi Menendez: I have my own company called the hive (www.thehive.fr), its a creative concepts company specializing in brand consulting, special projects and event design. I am currently working on setting up a sound recording studio in the loire valley.

Shall Zou: Finally, I’m very interested in your name, very colloquial, and many songs have the word “Chi Chi”, is there a story behind your name?

Chi Chi Menendez: My real name is so serious that my friends didn’t think it suited me so they rebaptised me Chi Chi. Its a nickname I’ve had for many years that started as a joke between friends and has somehow become who I am.