Yvannoé Kruger: AUGMENTED PARIS
Curator: Yvannoé Kruger
Augmented Paris, The New International Art Scene, is an exhibition that showcases the current French art scene, and offers visitors to ZHI ART MUSEUM in China a glimpse into this dynamic environment.
The dynamism of the French contemporary art scene is unveiled through POUSH, an art center and artist residency founded in 2020 in Paris, the largest in Europe, on the other side of the Périphérique, the concrete belt that separates the center of Paris from its suburbs. POUSH gathers on its 20,000 m2 industrial campus 280 major and emerging artists studios from over 40 nationalities, demonstrating the vitality of the greater Paris art scene. Initially located in Clichy, POUSH moved to Aubervilliers in April 2022, occupying a former perfume factory founded at the end of the 19th century now owned by the Société de la Tour Eiffel. An Observatory of art in the making POUSH, a space thriving with creation, stands out as a privileged observatory of art in the making. It offers a vibrant panorama of diversity and vitality, where artists' actions permeate the world to disrupt its trajectory. The idea of putting oneself in another's place, dear to Confucius, takes life through the interactions between artists, weaving a web of diversity and mutual understanding.
POUSH, Photo by Axel DahlFrom one studio to another, artists weave a common network, offering a window into a history of art that is realized and experienced in the present. This physical proximity fosters intellectual and emotional closeness, a fertile ground where ideas morph and mature. Over the course of encounters, artists' works evolve, building a dynamic network of discussions and exchanges. Each gesture and emerging form, material and immaterial takes part in an expanded dialogue, where matter and tools become vectors of communication, forming a common language that transcends individual boundaries.To explore POUSH's spaces and to meet artists during its exhibitions or open studios, is to encounter the energy of the iconic places of the past, from Picasso's Bateau-Lavoir to Warhol's Factory and Matta-Clark's White Columns in New York. An atmosphere of vibrant creativity and innovation reigns, where new artistic forms are constantly born. POUSH is a place of audacious creativity, where new artistic trends emerge at every turn, and where open cultural dialogues challenge established norms. The future of art lies in the transformation of technique into living art, as illustrated by Bernard Stiegler. At POUSH, this transformation is palpable, each artist contributing to a greater whole, each work an attempt to rewrite the world through the tools of our time.
Cyrielle Gulacsy's studio, Photo by Romain DarnaudThe Augmented Paris exhibition at the ZHI ART MUSEUM in Chengdu offers a unique perspective on the current French art scene. Although POUSH cannot represent all active artists in France, it provides an in-depth look at the dynamics between artists, their reciprocal influences, and the emergence of new artistic movements. By observing the Grand Paris (Greater Paris) art scene through POUSH, we understand this everlasting dynamic where modernity is constantly reinvented, a process that is never complete but always ongoing.A true constellation of creative energies is invited to the ZHI ART MUSEUM in Chengdu. A group of minds whose practices emerge from a subtle alchemy between the individual and the collective. These artists, from all over France and beyond, influence and transform cultural and aesthetic perspectives.
Hugo Avigo with his work Lift TakerParis, once seen as a city where art was admired but not created, now reveals itself in a new light. The old rumors of a creative decline are dispelled by the reality of a vibrant and dynamic art scene. The centers of creation have shifted, and the French capital, enhanced by its periphery, has become a playground for artists seeking resources and inspiration. Paris attracts and welcomes unprecedented artistic diversity, nurturing the aspirations of those who seek to push the artistic boundaries and embed their works in the fabric of the city. POUSH's studios thus become the beating heart of this creative renaissance, where each encounter and exchange adds a new dimension to this Parisian cultural effervescence.
It is clear that Paris has become attractive to artists again, and POUSH is a shining example of this. Artists from around the world have found a home here since the project's inception, and today, creators from New York, London, and Berlin are knocking on POUSH's door. While French artists once left for these capitals, this reversal of trend highlights the renewal of the French art scene, reminiscent of Paris's golden age, more vibrant with international artistic talent than a century ago.
Honey Time 2, Salomé Chatriot, 2023Oil paint and cold enamel on cut aluminum, 210 × 176 cm
Courtesy of the artist
The artists featured in this exhibition are active witnesses of this renaissance. Aware of their impact, they explore everyday life with hybrid and innovative approaches. By playing with boundaries and norms, they invent, tell stories, build and deconstruct, offering new perspectives and alternative narratives that shift our worldview. Mythological Journey by Elevator Today, artists infiltrate the present to open voids and leave them for adventurers who wish to slip through. Conceived as an immersive journey, the exhibition's path invites visitors to embark on a mythological elevator.
This elevator is not only a mere mechanical device but a symbolic vessel, carrying us from the mundane to the extraordinary. Each floor we reach represents a different stratum of artistic expression and philosophical inquiry, encouraging us to reconsider our perspectives and broaden our horizons.
Front: Lift Taker, Hugo Avigo, 2024Back: Underlay - Combine, Mathew McWilliams, 2023
Sans titre (triptyque), Mathew McWilliams, 2024The journey begins in the depths of the earth, where raw materials and elemental forces converge. Here, in the subterranean world, we encounter the primordial origins of artistic expression. The heat of the forge and the glow of the flames illuminate ancient stories and timeless truths. It is a place of transformation, where raw materials are not only shaped into art but also imbued with the essence of human experience. The artist, like a modern Prometheus, interacts with these elemental forces, bringing forth new ideas and forms.
As we ascend, we move into a realm of blossoming potential. This level of the journey is a vibrant garden, where seeds of thought and creativity are nourished by the richness of their environment. Here, the renewal of still life as an artistic genre becomes a metaphor for the resilience and continuity of life itself. The repeated motifs of still lifes defy the finality of time, suggesting that life, in all its forms, persists and evolves. This garden is a testament to the interconnectedness of all living things and the ongoing dialogue between art and nature.
Forbiden Fruit, Marie de Villepin, 2023Oil on canvas, 134.5 × 206 cmCourtesy of the artist
Finally, the elevator reaches its highest point, where the abstract and the ethereal merge. In this space, artificial intelligence and advanced technology intersect with artistic intuition, creating a futuristic vision that is both prophetic and profound. The decomposition of light into its spectral components serves as a reminder of the complex interplay between science and art. Forms dissolve and reappear, suggesting the fluidity of existence and the limitless possibilities of human imagination. This final stage of the journey challenges us to envision new futures, where the tangible and intangible coexist in a harmonious balance.
Farewell Darling, Margaux Meyer, 2023Oil on canvas, 100 × 120 cmPhoto by Gre?gory Copitet
As visitors navigate this mythological elevator, they are invited to reflect on their own journeys and the transformative power of art. The exhibition becomes a mirror, reflecting not only the artists' visions but also our own potential to transcend boundaries and redefine our realities. Each floor, each artwork, and each interaction contribute to a richer understanding of what it means to be human in an ever-changing world.
In this way, the exhibition is not just a static display but a dynamic voyage, encouraging us to explore, question, and ultimately transform. The voids created by the artists are pathways to new dimensions of thought and experience, waiting for us to step through and discover the unknown. This journey, from the depths of the earth to the heights of abstraction, encapsulates the essence of human creativity and the enduring quest for meaning.
Nature morte mécanique, Ugo Schildge, 2024Concrete, wood, pigments, mechanical gearing, 132 × 92 cm
Courtesy of the artist
In the earth's bowels, where iron is extracted and the earth burns, leviathans illuminate the walls of prehistoric caves with their fiery gaze, where the first artists told the first stories. It is a space of carbonization where raw material is transformed, where fire forges not only metals but also ideas. Matter is alive and dynamic in this space where artists interact with primordial elements.
Leviathan XVI, Alexandre Zhu, 2022Charcoal on paper, varnished, mounted on wooden stretcher, aluminum frame, 110 × 150 cmThe elevator rises to a floor where metals and minerals nourish seeds that give birth to a wild garden. Here, the renewal of still life in an art history written in the present blossoms. The proliferation of these artworks seeks to outwit, through repetition, the inexorable end of time; a rite of passage that opens the way to new possibilities. It is here that still lifes become a manifesto of movement, reinterpreting our relationship with the living.
Don’t You Give It to Another, Apollinaria Broche, 2023Bronze, ceramic, decal print, 65 × 32 × 25 cmFinally, upon the last floor of this elevator to infinity, where artificial intelligence becomes prophetic, where light decomposes into color, where forms disappear to pass into another dimension. This minimalist and abstract space is a field of possibilities, where technology and art merge to imagine hybrid and mutant futures. The light, decomposed into its fundamental spectra, reminds us that art is both physical and metaphysical, a link between the tangible and the intangible.
Brutalismo, Marlon de Azambuja, 2024Mixed media, Dimensions variable
The corpus of works in this exhibition have a singular essence that makes them essential elements in this strange wandering, an attention to gesture and the need to conceive in an environment where concepts prevail over realization.
This journey is not only an exploration of the current artistic resurgence of Greater Paris but also a profound reflection on how we can, by transforming our techniques into living art, redefine our modernity in an ever-changing world.
Photos provided by ZHI ART MUSEUM and POUSH.THE NEW INTERNATIONAL ART SCENE
Curator: Yvannoé Kruger
Assistant Curator: Simon Jung
Public Exhibition: 2024.6.28-11.30Exhibition Organizer: ZHI ART MUSEUM, The Foundation for Art and CultureExhibition Curation: POUSHExhibition Coordinator: Manifesto ExpoExhibition Support: MEDSPA, CONDENSE PARIS, MANSONG, PUSHERSGuidance Unit: Foreign Affairs Office of Xinjin District, Chengdu, Sichuan; Culture, Broadcast-TV, Sports and Tourism Bureau of Xinjin District, Chengdu, Sichuan; Lihuaxi Cultural Tourism Zone Administrative Committee of Xinjin District, Chengdu, SichuanMedia Partners: CRI online, SichuanRadio and Television, Sichuan Observe, SRT FM106.1, Sichuan Workers' Daily, Cover News, Chengdu Daily, Chengdu Economic Daily, YOU Chengdu, Xinjin Media Convergence Center, ArtAlpha, Artchestnut, ECHO, DING! Art, CRAZY ART, SichuanArt.com, LetsGo, XINGHUISalon, Z/S STUDIO, NewNiceAddress: ZHI ART MUSEUM (No. 1 junshan Road, Xinjin, Chengdu)
Located at the foot of Chengdu's Taoism Laojun Mountain in Southwest China, ZHI ART MUSEUM's serene architecture brings to life the beauty and tranquility of Zen. An iconic work by renowned Japanese master architect, Kengo Kuma, the museum embodies the Eastern philosophy of "Learning from Nature" With the use of water as key feature, and the exploration of natural materials throughout, the architecture organically integrates its surrounding elements harmoniously. The tranquil ?ow and soft movements surrounding the entirety of the museum allow for contemplation and evoke notions of eternity through its unity with nature.
Our museum's core vision is Universality, Insight, and Innovation.
Based in the bustling artistic hub of Hong Kong, the Foundation for Art and Culture is a non-profit organisation co-founded by Arthur de Villepin and Dominique de Villepin. We operateas a driving force in the realm of culture exchanges, aiming to bridge the gap between East andWest and foster international cooperation, in particular through cross-cultural projects.
POUSH is a space for artists to create and exhibit. Founded in 2020, POUSH hosts and supports more than 270 artists in a former industrial campus in Aubervilliers (Greater Paris, France). They benefit from studios and additional support with their artistic development, production, administrative matters and communications. Its unique artistic programme reflects the renewed creative effervescence of the French art scene and features exhibitions by resident artists and guest talents alike, in turn curated by our resident or guest curators.
Manifesto Expo, Manifesto's specialist subsidiary, coordinates the production and touring of exhibitions in France and internationally, working on behalf of museums and public and private collections.
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