MUSEmemoirs

Info

• Dates: 21.01.24 – 09.03.24
• Where: La Graineterie – Centre d’art de Houilles
• Curator: Andréanne Béguin
• Price: free

An exhibition with a strong environmental resonance, En poussière showcases the works of two artists from different generations, whose pieces perfectly dialogue with each other but also with the viewer. Upon entering the exhibition space, the conscientious research on materials becomes immediately apparent: tyres, wood, metal, stone, straw are integrated into the artworks, whether on the floor, against the walls, suspended or in the middle of the room. The visitor is invited to turn around the artworks and question them, exploring their deeper meaning and significance. The particular venue of the exhibition, an old grain store, harmonizes thoroughly with the exhibition’s theme, prompting contemplation and reflections about our oil-driven society through a juxtaposition of natural and artificial elements.

The ground floor aims to recreate a urban scene, with the ultimate purpose to show how oil extraction strongly impacts on our daily lives, even when not directly seen. At the first floor, this reflection moves to our domestic space, for example highlighting how petroleum transformation ultimately influences even what we eat. This is what the artwork Assiettes (2002) by Dominique Ghesquière tries to convey, through marks on apparently empty plates made by a knife in order to leave the traces of its impact behind.

Oil’s transformative effect on our enviornment is further explored through sculptures that mimic natural elements but are crafted from discarded materials. This is the case of the cloud (Nuage, 2014) made by Dominique that is made from old bank tickets trimmed and assembled together, or even animals, such as a bird (Oiseau, 2014, D. Guesquière) and a fly (Mouche, 2010, D. Ghesquière) who are hanged together in a sort of wall-sky filled of melted plastic (Plastossiles, 2018, series).

The exhibition spans over three floors and the spaces retain the names of their original functions (such as “the stables” and “the granary”), invoking a sort of nostalgia into the viewer’s perspection. This expedient truly connects the viewer to a “natural” atmosphere and reinforces the artists’ and the curator’s message and intentions. Reflections are inspired but not forced, as there are no explanatory texts on the walls; visitors are left to engage freely with the works, fostering autonoumous thoughts and an authentic dialogue between themselves, the artists and the pieces.

My personal highlights:

• Coquillages (2018) by D. Ghesquière
• Bouquet (2924), by D. Ghesquière
• Plein Sud (2017-2022) by L. Douriaud