28 May 2010

Samuel Bianchini's exhibition 'Maintenance' at European School of Visual Arts

MAINTENANCE
Samuel Bianchini
5 May - 4 June 2010


Samuel Bianchini's exhibition Maintenance is programmed from 5 May to 4 June 2010 in the Poitiers site gallery of the European School of Visual Arts Poitiers & Angoulême. This show will be presenting five manifesto pieces (created between 1999 and 2004) from Samuel Bianchini's early but already substantial oeuvre.

Like the twofold accepted meaning of its title, Maintenance is experimentable as much as it is experimental: an exhibition which proposes a five-piece maintenance of an artist whose work on interactivity is intended to 'enlist the public in the work'. Maintenance of installations which are reborn not from their ashes, but from their previous versions. Maintenance which involves the hand ['Main'] and the holder ['…tenance'] and, thereby, puts the gesture at the heart of Bianchini's work, by way of an exchange between work and visitor. Gesture(s) of the public with a special relation with these interactive works, which come in variable forms. Gesture(s) of the artist facing an updating of his works.
[…]

Jean-Jacques Gay

The exhibition Maintenance is part of the research project PRACTICABLE - The Work of Art as Dispositif. Setting the Stage for Audience Participation (ANR-08-CREA-063, 2009-2011) supported by the French National Research Agency (ANR) and coordinated by the Maison européenne des sciences de l'homme et de la société (MESHS) in Lille on behalf of the Universités de Valenciennes and Lille (Calhiste, Ceac, Geriico Laboratories).

The exhibition Maintenance is being produced by the European School of Visual Arts Poitiers & Angoulême with the backing of the ANR, the MESHS, the Université de Valenciennes, Mikros Image, Christie Digital, the TAP, the CiTu (Paris 1 and Paris 8 Universities) and larevue.fr


Samuel Bianchini

Samuel Bianchini lives and works in Paris. He shows regularly in France and abroad. Exhibitions have included, recently, institutions such as the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens, Centre pour l'image contemporaine of Geneva, Jozsa Gallery in Brussels, Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art, Laboratoria (Moscow), and The Jeu de Paume in Paris. His work investigates the impact of technology on modes of representation, on our new forms of aesthetic experiences and our socio-political organizations. To bring his projects to fruition, he collaborates with scientists and technology research centers. In tight correlation with his artistic practice, Samuel Bianchini has undertaken theoretical work that has been published by the Centre Pompidou, MIT Press, Hermes, Les presses du réel, etc.

Born in Nancy in 1971, he studied art through several different channels: fine arts, applied arts, engineering… After defending his doctoral thesis with a solo show at the Palais de Tokyo, he is today a member of the research centers Calhiste (University of Valenciennes) and Citu (Universities Paris 1 and Paris 8). Associate professor at Université de Valenciennes, he also works for the development of research at EnsadLab, laboratory of the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs (Paris). He is scientific leader of the research project 'Praticables. The Work of Art as Dispositif: Setting the Stage for Audience Participation' supported by the French Research Agency (ANR).

Website: www.dispotheque.org


For an European School of Visual Arts

The European School of Visual Arts under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Communications, is an art school that is the brainchild of the cities of Angoulême and Poitiers, keen to pool their resources and create an advanced regional artistic establishment with international interests.

Its goal is to develop a curriculum based on a knowledge of art history and civilizations. In this framework, the different dimensions of the curriculum encourage an exploration of the links between critical thinking, art production, and research, in every field of contemporary creative activity, in particular film and its many variants, the future development of digital writing, comic strips, and publishing.

Several major general subjects are taught: the scripting of narratives, the relations between image and sound, documentary writing, animation, set design, and interactive and collaborative activities.

In order to implement this educational project, the School enlists many guest artists who renew and broaden the students' approaches by way of workshops. The media libraries in each site also help to offer students a very rich documentation on art, and host lectures, seminars and discussions.

The European School of Visual Arts is especially interested in the relations that students may establish as from their schooldays with the professional art world. This is why special courses, especially within cultural facilities, are encouraged throughout the curriculum, as well students' participation in national and international events and festivals.

Sabrina Grassi-Fossier, Director
Érik Bullot, Director of Studies

Complete information available on : www.eesi.eu