Landscapes have long been the subject of artistic interrogation and interpretation. Maps, albeit functional tools for navigation through landscapes, deeply affect the way humans interact with and experience the natural spaces they represent. More than being simple guides, they are often an invitation to set upon a journey, real or imaginary.
Projections, a quaint little exhibition at Le Shakirail – an artists’ residency situated at Rue Riquet, Paris – explores the blurry lines between artistic and cartographic representations of landscapes and how they are tinted by individual perceptions, memories and imagination. Curator Pauline Lisowski presents eight works by five artists: Yann Bagot, Juliette Vivier, Danièle Gibrat, Olivier Moriette and Allison Blumenthal. The small size of the exhibition encourages the viewer to spend time and project themselves in the real and imaginary places represented in these works.
Artist Yann Bagot incorporates natural elements such as sea or rain in his work from the series Titans simultaneously evoking the fragility and the power of nature. Juliette Vivier subtly integrates imagery and cartographic model of mountainous terrain in her work Badlands resulting in a reconstructed landscape that seems to be in a state of constant flux. Olivier Moriette uses undulating cartographic lines to create an impression of a fluid landscape in his work. Allison Blumenthal, with three of her works on display, imagines a new landscape by incorporating cartographic lines from a map in one, while with her painting and photographs, she invites the viewer to imagine a new manner of viewing a mountainous landscape. The frenzied lines in the works of Danièle Gibrat, on the other hand, recreate landscapes based on the artist’s memories and imagination.
The exhibition Projections can be viewed at the exhibition space Le CP5, Le Shakirail, 72 rue Riquet, 75018 Paris until April 27, 2017. Prior appointments are necessary. More information here.
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