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French artist-in-residency programme confirmed

Published: Wed 14 Oct 2015 02:32 PM
French artist-in-residency programme confirmed
Three contemporary artists have been selected for the inaugural French artist-in residence programme run by Massey University’s School of Art and the Wellington City Council.
In partnership with Te Whare Hēra Wellington International Artist Residency, the Cultural Office of the French Embassy in New Zealand has developed a special initiative enabling the participation of French contemporary artists in the residency programme over the next three years.
The 2016 recipients are Etienne de France (in residence from February to April) and the duo Louise Hervé and Chloé Maillet (in residence fro May to July).
Whiti o Rehua School of Art curator, Associate Professor Heather Galbraith, says the programme is designed to bring contemporary international artists to live, work and exhibit in Wellington city and to connect with its creative sector and diverse audiences.
Artists are granted a studio to live and work in that is located within the Clyde Quay Wharf development in Wellington.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the French Embassy to bring leading French artists to Wellington,” Ms Galbraith says.
Cultural counsellor at the French Embassy, Mr Raynald Belay is also enthusiastic about this new partnership: “Visual arts have been thriving in France over the recent years with a new generation of internationally recognised artists and curators actively seeking new international connections,” he says.
“A revamped and vibrant ecosystem with new galleries and museums is emerging, spurred by recent investments from local governments and private foundations alike. Te Whare Hēra will enable better communications and understanding between the French and New Zealand artistic scenes and we hope it will pave the way for many successful collaborations.”
The Te Whare Hēra French artist-in-residency programme is a joint initiative between the French Embassy, Massey University and the Wellington City Council.
Artist profiles
Etienne de France (born in 1984) is a visual artist currently living in Paris. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Archeology (2005) and then completed a BA in Visual Arts at the Iceland Art Academy of Reykjavik (2008).
He pursues a multidisciplinary art practice. Drawing on the fields of architecture and sciences, he creates series of works exploring the differences between concepts of nature and landscape. His practice uses a variety of media such as writing, video, photography, drawing, and sculpture. Notable works are Tales of a Sea Cow (2012), a film and a series of works about the rediscovery of a marine mammal in Greenland, or Icelandtraincity (2011), the project of a utopian modular city moving on train tracks. In 2013, he completed a 200km walk performance and video called Exploration of a Failure.
Etienne will be in residence in Wellington from February to April 2016. He plans to develop a new video as well as series of works related to Wellington and New Zealand. Working in this unique geographical and historical context will enable him to give new directions to a central questioning in his work: the differences between concepts of nature and landscape.
Artist’s website: http://www.etiennedefrance.com/
Louise Hervé and Chloé Maillet, both born in 1981, have been working as a duo for more than ten years. They have different backgrounds: Louise studied Art and Art History and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 2003 and a Master of Arts. in 2005, while Chloé went on to achieve a PhD in Anthropological History in 2010. They started working together in Paris in 2000. Since then, they have been pursuing research-based projects for two or three years at a time, each chapter of research taking the form of a film or a series of films, an exhibition or a publication.
The artistic practice of Louise Hervé and Chloé Maillet focuses on the act of narration. Their stories bring together historical facts, fiction or new realities and take the form of films, installations and performative conferences – a mixture of lecture, performance and conference.
Louise and Chloé will be in residence in Wellington from May to July 2016.
Personal website: http://iiiiassociation.org/
Louise Hervé and Chloé Maillet are represented by Marcelle Alix gallery, Paris - http://www.marcellealix.com/
ENDS

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