25 May–13 July 2012, 13–19
Live event: 2–3 June 2012, 12–22
École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts
Quai Malaquais Galleries
13 Quai Malaquais, Paris 75006
Admission is free
Curated by Chantal Pontbriand, assisted by Christian Alandete.
The exhibition Géographies nomades (Nomadic Geographies) will be on at The École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris from 25 May to 13 July, in its exhibition spaces on Quai Malaquais, Nicolas Bourriaud, the newly appointed director of the Beaux-arts, is pleased to announce.
The École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts presents an exhibition with the young artists who have just graduated from the school with a mention of excellence.
In 2011, these artists are: Dimitri Afanasenko, Félix Albert, Fanny Béguery, Lina Ben Rejeb, Agathe Benoit, Camille Blatrix, Noémie Boulon, Laure Bréaud, Suzie Cuvelier, Adrian Dan, Dorothée Davoise, Pierre Derrien, Arnaud Dezoteux, François Diridollou, David Douard, Elsa Fauconnet, Sullivan Goba-Blé, Marc Herblin, Guillaume Krattinger, Hugo Kriegel, Antoine Nessi, Chloé Quenum, Anafaia Supico, Pauline Tamisier, Alina Turco, Vlad Turco, and Anne-Charlotte Yver.
Chantal Pontbriand, independent curator and art critic, is curator of the exhibition.
Géographies nomades (Nomadic Geographies) brings together a generation of artists characterized by a nomadic disposition. Their work is closely related to questions of wandering, displacement, routes, and territory. “While visiting the different exhibitions in the process of assessing the work of these young artists during the jury, the idea of nomadism was coming up again and again,” the curator writes in the exhibition catalogue. “Nomadic Geographies is a concept that was inspired by the practices we were confronted with while meeting the artists and encountering their work. As a concept, it maps a circulation of ideas, and especially of ways of working, processes, and material incarnations these can take.”
The QR Code, as configured by one of the artists, Agathe Benoît, became the emblem for Nomadic Geographies, early on in the process of assembling the exhibition and its catalogue. This code has quickly invaded urban space, and its purpose is generally to orient, to inform, and to suggest. On the cover of the catalogue, it points to the Beaux-arts de Paris, enabling an imaginary perception of the institution and situating it in an augmented space.
Curator Chantal Pontbriand solicited ten critics whose task was to work with the 99 graduates of the 2011 promotion. They met, exchanged, and critical texts were produced. These texts can be found in the catalogue devoted to the 99 graduates, as well as in that of the exhibition Géographies nomades.
All currently active in Paris, the critics are: Léa Bismuth, Raphaël Brunel, Gallien Dejean, Théodora Domenech, Marie Frampier, Simone Frangi, Julie Jones, Hélène Meisel, Olivia Speer, and Anne-Lou Vicente.
Another new initiative marks this year’s event: Géographies Nomades LIVE will be held on 2 and 3 June, also at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts. Christian Alandete, assistant to the curator of the exhibition, is curating this particular Live event. Over a period of forty-eight hours, the Beaux-arts will be hosting a series of activities and programs orchestrated simultaneously in its different spaces, putting the sharing of knowledge and experience at the forefront. The 26 artists and 10 curators have been asked to propose ideas as a contribution to the Live programs. Distinguished guests with diverse artistic and intellectual backgrounds are joining in the event, juxtaposing and cross-referencing different fields of knowledge and learning. Video projections, invitations to thinkers of different disciplines, discussions between artists and critics on issues of current interest, workshops, games, exploratory excursions in the city, music, performances, and the different proposals and contributions will explore how young artists and critics think today, and what they think about.
Press opening: May 24, 10
Press contacts
Tanguy Grard: T +33 (0)1 47 03 50 05 / [email protected]
Isabelle Reyé: T +33 (0)1 47 03 54 25 / [email protected]