II° Awareness Enhancing
My Daily Disturbances series led me to a radical conclusion about people’s widespread indifference: most of the time, people prefer to escape any situation by remaining blind and deaf to what is happening around them. They refuse to be attentive and receptive. Their empathy stops shining through the thick shield of their mechanized-automated defence systems.
Faced with this attitude of indifference, I decided to move away from portraying Disturbances and propose Awareness Enhancing moments.
Forever curious and eager to explore the world around me, I felt it was vital to break this hellish pace of daily life by introducing various kinds of opportunities, ‘getaway’ moments, in the form of invitations to enhance awareness of ourselves, of others, of time and of space.
This led to a variety of actions, once again, in public places. Other media were also used, including photography and the creation of installations and scenescaping. These installation setups are often designed as complementary modules in exhibitions prompting onlookers to become involved and, as such, fully participate in the performance or showcase.
In short, Awareness Enhancing is simply a series of projects praising life and the act of seizing it, observing it and enjoying it whilst, at the same time, questioning it. It is an incentive, a call for sharing, whilst opening our eyes to better perceive what we no longer see. Art as an experience to be lived.
Title: “Cet homme est en train de prendre conscience de son existence” / “This man is becoming aware of his own existence”
Description: A man is walking in a public place, when he suddenly freezes while walking.
A second person arrives and places a security cordon around the man standing still. Then he sticks a paper sign on the frozen man’s t-shirt, before moving on.
The paper states “Cet homme est en train de prendre conscience de son existence” (This man is becoming aware of his own existence).
The man remains frozen even though people begin to approach him and try to communicate with him. A long time passes, then he continues his route…
Media: Video
Duration : 20 minutes
Location: Lyon
Year : 2006
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Title: Reflecting Mind
Description: A series of videos showcasing people lost in their own thoughts. Intimate portraits of these moments of reflection. The people centre staged chose their own locations.
Media: Photography & videos
Duration : Various
Location: Various
Year : 2008
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Title: Listening to life
Description: A man is listening to plants through headphones. This initial performance was later developed into a series of other performances and photos.
Media: Photography & video
Duration : Various
Location: Institut d’Art Contemporain, Villeurbanne
Year : 2007
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Title: One day of life
Description: 24 hours of self-meditation in an industrial zone of the city.
Media: Video & photo
Location: Lyon
Year : 2008
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Title: Bedtime story
Description: A man is lying on his bed reading, in various public places.
Media: Photography
Location: Lyon
Year : 2006
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