Bassin ouvert
Clémence Seilles

ar/ge kunst is pleased to announce the first Italian solo exhibition by French artist and designer Clémence Seilles (1984, lives and works in Paris and Amsterdam). This project continues a series of presentations by artists who have been invited to mark the thirtieth anniversary of ar/ge kunst with reflections on the associative institutional model of the Kunstverein and the collective dimension its name suggests (ar/ge is an abbreviation of Arbeitsgemeinschaft, i.e. working group).

Building on a background in product design, Seilles’ artistic practice explores the tools, materials and ‘expositive mechanisms’ that constitute the dispostif of the art exhibition as a space of presentation, communication and legitimation. Having previously worked on the sculptural aspects of plinths and seats as elements of support, Seilles’ current work focuses on the construction of scenarios that facilitate collective, productive and performative situations. From the planning of salons decked out with furniture and accessories to the construction of recording studios for independent musicians complete with musical instruments designed by Seilles herself, these scenarios are a means of reflecting on the social rituals of the encounter and the event.

Bassin ouvert, Seilles’ intervention in the spaces of ar/ge kunst, expands the scope of her current research. A bassin in the proper sense is an artificial pond generally found in public and private courtyards and gardens, mainly in the Mediterranean countries. In this case, as the title suggests, it is an ‘open’ architectural element; it can function as a pure ornament, a fountain, a water source, or a sort of health spa and wellness centre. But its ultimate aim is achieved through the presence of water, creating an associative, hybrid, (re)generative milieu. This ‘object’ proposes functions and modes of operation that differ from those of the institution. Moving from scenography to a fluid form of support over the course of the exhibition, the bassin will actively foster and adapt itself to various forms of encounter as its possible uses are redefined from time to time by the artists, musicians, students and choreographers who gather here.

Bassin ouvert sees the contribution by artists Deborah Bowman, Laure Jaffuel, Theo Demans.

Clemence Seilles has invited artists Estrid Lutz, Emile Mold and Theo Demans to perform An Extra Collision during the opening (15 May, 8 pm).

SAVE THE DATE

On the 2, 3 and 4 July and as part of the current exhibition, artist and choreographer Valentina Desideri will present the project Studio Practice: On the Act of Reading in collaboration with the philosopher Denise Ferreira da Silva and the choreographers Jennifer Lacey, Cristina Rizzo and Mara Cassiani.

The project Bassin ouvert is part of PIANO, Prepared Platform for Contemporary Art, France–Italy 2014–2016, initiated by d.c.a / French association for the development of centres d’art, in partnership with the Institut français in Italy, the French Embassy in Italy and the Institut français, with the support of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication and Fondazione Nuovi Mecenati.

Studio Practice: On the Act of Reading, is a co-production with Festival Bolzano – Danza.

With the kind support of:
Provincia Autonoma del Sudtirolo, Ripartizione Cultura
Comune di Bolzano, Ripartizione Cultura
Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio, Bolzano
Nuovi Menenati, nouveaux mécènes – Fondazione franco-italiana di sostegno alla creazione contemporanea.
Bolzano Danza | Tanz Bozen

Special thanks to: Triangle, Marseilles