press release - Galerie Jeanroch Dard

JEANROCHDARD
80 BOULEVARD BEAUMARCHAIS - 75011 PARIS - FRANCE
67 RUE DE LA RÉGENCE I 1000 BRUXELLES I BELGIUM
WWW.JEANROCHDARD.COM I [email protected]
JEANROCHDARD
80 BOULEVARD BEAUMARCHAIS - 75011 PARIS - FRANCE
67 RUE DE LA RÉGENCE I 1000 BRUXELLES I BELGIUM
WWW.JEANROCHDARD.COM I [email protected]
A PERFECT LIE
Group show curated by Domenico de Chirico
with : Mikael Brkic, Zuzanna Czebatul, Louisa Gagliardi, Alex Ito, Tobias Kaspar, Lindsay Lawson
and Isaac Lythgoe.
« La cité du soleil » fut rédigée en 1602 par le moine dominicain italien Tommaso Campanella (1568-1639).
C’est un ouvrage philosophique qui définit la structure d’un état idéal caractérisé par le partage communautaire
des biens et la profession des lois naturelles.
Les habitants de la cité du soleil ne connaissent pas l’égoïsme, les horreurs de la guerre et de la faim et les
violences qui dévastent le reste du monde. La cité est organisée de façon totalement rationnelle. Elle est
contrôlée par un groupe de personnes appelées « les officiels » qui veillent constamment à ce que personne
n’entreprenne d’actions soit injustes soit à l’encontre des autres citoyens. Il existe un « officiel » pour chaque
vertu : pour la générosité, la grandeur d’âme, la chasteté, la force, l’esthétique, la justice, le zèle, la vérité
et ainsi de suite. De plus, dans cette cité de forme circulaire, tous les citoyens ont accès à l’éducation et
tous ont droit aux mêmes chances. Les « Solariens », comme ils se nomment, respectent scrupuleusement
certains préceptes alimentaires alors que les officiels bénéficient d’une alimentation plus raffinée mais il n’est
pas rare qu’ils décident de la donner à ceux qui, durant la journée, se sont distingués par leurs faits d’arme
ou scientifiques.
L’œuvre du philosophe dominicain constitue un témoignage précieux sur la passion qui était la sienne et ses
espoirs face à une réalité au caractère tragique. Cette œuvre qui consigne à la perfection les ambitions des
esprits les plus vifs d’Europe du XVIIème siècle et représente le creuset culturel, politique et social de ces
années, est le résultat concret d’une grande aspiration au changement, au renouveau pour la société de
l’époque.
Hélas, «La cité du soleil» n’est pas une utopie. Il lui manque la condition essentielle de toute utopie : la
dimension athée.
De plus, comme l’écrivait avec insolence Alberto Savinio (1891-1952), intellectuel italien éclectique, depuis
toujours concentré sur la révélation des aveuglements et des certitudes bourgeoises, « en tant que modèle
d’une république à imiter, la Cité du Soleil est un modèle à ne pas imiter ».
Chaque artiste, en toute liberté, a interprété formellement le concept d’utopie.
Le terme vient du grec οὐ (« non ») et τόπος (« lieu ») signifie « en aucun lieu ». Dans ce mot, inventé par
Thomas More (Londres 1478 – 1535), on retrouve à l’origine un jeu de mots basé sur l’homophonie en anglais
d’‘eutopia’, qui provient du grec εὖ (« bon » ou « bien ») et τόπος (« lieu ») et qui veut donc dire « bon lieu ».
Comme « utopie » et « eutopia » se prononcent de manière identique en anglais, cela donne ainsi naissance
à une double signification : outopia (nulle part) ; eutopia (bon lieu) ; utopia (lieu magnifique et inaccessible).
Convient à la ville dans sa quête inlassable des plus belles formes artistiques.
--
«A Perfect Lie» by The Engine Room
Make me beautiful
Make me beautiful
A perfect soul
A perfect mind
A perfect face
A perfect lie
Make me beautiful
Make me beautiful
A perfect soul
A perfect mind
A perfect face
A perfect...
A perfect soul
A perfect mind
A perfect face
A perfect lie
OST of «Nip/Tuck», the American television «(medical) drama» series
created by Ryan Murphy in 2003 circa.
JEANROCHDARD
80 BOULEVARD BEAUMARCHAIS - 75011 PARIS - FRANCE
67 RUE DE LA RÉGENCE I 1000 BRUXELLES I BELGIUM
WWW.JEANROCHDARD.COM I [email protected]
A PERFECT LIE
Group show curated by Domenico de Chirico
with : Mikael Brkic, Zuzanna Czebatul, Louisa Gagliardi, Alex Ito, Tobias Kaspar, Lindsay Lawson
and Isaac Lythgoe.
«La Città del Sole» (The City of the Sun), written in 1602 by the Italian Dominican friar Tommaso
Campanella (1568-1639), is a philosophical work that outlines an ideal state characterised by communal
possessions, in which the people follow the natural religion.
The inhabitants of the City of the Sun know nothing of the egotism, the horrors of war and hunger, and the
violence that exist in the rest of the world. The city is organised along totally rational lines. It is supervised by
a group of people called “officials”, who constantly make sure that no one can act unjustly towards their fellow
citizens. There is an official for every virtue: liberality, magnanimity, abstinence, fortitude, aesthetics, justice,
industriousness, truth, and so on. Furthermore, in this circular city, responsibility for bringing up children lies
with all citizens, and everyone enjoys equal opportunities. The “solar citizens” also carefully follow dietary
rules, whilst the officials have the most desirable food, but often decide to give their food to those who have
distinguished themselves in contests with weapons or scientific debates.
The Dominican philosopher’s work is a precious testament to his passion and hope in the face of the tragic
reality of his time. It is a work that perfectly captures the ambitions of seventeenth-century Europe’s sharpest
minds and represents the great cultural, political and social ferment of those years; it is the concrete result of
that period’s great aspiration for change and social renewal. Alas, the City of the Sun is no utopia, as it lacks the first requisite of any utopia: the quality of atheism.
Furthermore, “as a model of a republic to imitate, the City of the Sun is a model not to imitate,” was the
irreverent opinion of Alberto Savinio (1891-1952), the multi-faceted Italian intellectual who was always keen
to unmask self-delusion and bourgeois certitudes, working in freedom, each artist has formally interpreted
the concept of utopia.
Deriving from the Greek οὐ («not») and τόπος («place»), the word means “no place”. It was coined by
Thomas More (London 1478 – 1535) and originally contained a play on words with the English homophone
eutopia, deriving from the Greek εὖ («good» or “well”) and τόπος («place») and therefore meaning «good
place». So the identical pronunciation of «utopia» and «eutopia» in English resulted in a double meaning:
outopia (no place); eutopia (good place); utopia (beautiful, unattainable place).
Fit for the city in the relentless pursuit of top artistic forms.
-«A Perfect Lie» by The Engine Room
Make me beautiful
Make me beautiful
A perfect soul
A perfect mind
A perfect face
A perfect lie
Make me beautiful
Make me beautiful
A perfect soul
A perfect mind
A perfect face
A perfect...
A perfect soul
A perfect mind
A perfect face
A perfect lie
OST of «Nip/Tuck», the American television «(medical) drama» series
created by Ryan Murphy in 2003 circa.
JEANROCHDARD
80 BOULEVARD BEAUMARCHAIS - 75011 PARIS - FRANCE
67 RUE DE LA RÉGENCE I 1000 BRUXELLES I BELGIUM
WWW.JEANROCHDARD.COM I [email protected]
A PERFECT LIE
Group show curated by Domenico de Chirico
with : Mikael Brkic, Zuzanna Czebatul, Louisa Gagliardi, Alex Ito, Tobias Kaspar, Lindsay Lawson and Isaac
Lythgoe.
LOUISA GAGLIARDI
Louisa Gagliardi was born in 1989 in Switzerland. She received her BFA in Graphic Design from ECAL in 2012. Gagliardi’s practice revolves around illustration, which allows her projects to oscillate between the editorial realm and visual arts
realm. In early 2015, she opened her studio in Zurich and currently teaches at ECAL.
MIKAEL BRKIC
Mikael D. Brkic (b. 1987, Oslo) lives and works between Berlin and Oslo. He has attended The Mountain School of Art
in Los Angeles, Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main and Kunstakademiet ved Kunsthøgskolen in Oslo. His works was
presented in several artist run-space in Oslo but also in groupshows in New-York, Frakfurt or Leipzig. The groupshow at
JEANROCHDARD in december 2015 is her first show in Belgium. Mikael also curated four exhibitions in Olso and has
was involved in the journal Provence.
ZUZANNA CZEBATUL
Zuzanna Czebatul (b. 1986, Miedzyrzecz, PL) is a Berlin and New-York based artist who graduated from the Städelschule of Frankfurt in 2013. Her work was presented in solo and groupshows at New-York, Los Angeles, Berlin or Paris.
The groupshow at JEANROCHDARD in december 2015 is her first show in Belgium.
LINDSAY LAWSON
Lindsay Lawson (b. 1982, Biloxi, Mississipi) lives in and works in Berlin. She is graduated from the Städelschule of Frankfurt in 2009. Her work was include in exhibitions at Gillmeier Rech (Berlin), Adds Donna (Chicago) or at Ida Schmid
(NY). The groupshow at JEANROCHDARD in december 2015 is her first show in Belgium. She is also the co-founder of
the artist collective Baby Darwin with Dafna Maimon.
TOBIAS KASPAR
Tobias Kaspar (b. 1984, Basel, Switzerland) lives and works in Berlin et Rome. He is graduated from the the Hochschule
für Bildende Künste of Hamburg in 2011. His work was included in several exhibitions around the world as in Berlin,
Paris Sao Paulo or New-York. Tobias Kaspar’s works take shape of videos, performances but also lectures and editorial
projects.
ALEX ITO
Alex Ito (b. 1991, Los Angeles, California) is a New-York based artist. He is gratuated from Pratt Institude in 2013. His
works has been presented in New-York, Los Angeles, London or Milan. The groupshow at JEANROCHDARD in december 2015 is his first show in Belgium. He also curated four exhibitions in Baltimore and New-York.
ISAAC LYTHGOE
Isaac Lythgoe (b. 1989, Guernsey) lives and works in London. He is gratuated from the Royal College of Art in 2014. His
works was included in exhibitions in Amsterdam, Guernsey and London. The groupshow at JEANROCHDARD is his first
show in Belgium.