The creations ofBertille Bak immerse spectators in the heart of communities, previously explored to understand their subtleties, customs and rituals. As a humanist activist, Bertille Bak gathers and archives the testimonies of these groups often relegated to the shadows, these "invisibles", to design cinematographic stories, works where poetry coexists with the harsh reality of social conditions.
Date: February 13 to May 26, 2024
Location: Musée du Jeu de Paume de Paris
Desires: Photography, community denography, society, rituals
The exhibition unveils a series of installations by the artist, a dive into the mapping of globalization through professions and knowledge on the verge of disappearing. Among these projects, original creations, exclusively designed for this exhibition, enrich the journey in a unique way.
Each piece thus offers a poignant and delicate vision, merging documentary, ethnography and poetic fiction at the heart of the artistic universe of Bertille Bak. The scenography, developed specifically by the artist, weaves unexpected connections between the different works, provoking reflection on North-South dependency relationships with a touch of fantasy and humor.
The curator of the exhibition, Marta Ponsa, responsible for artistic projects and cultural action at the Jeu de Paume, guides visitors through this captivating universe.
Immerse yourself in the immersive work of Bertille Bak, where art becomes a means of exploration, denunciation and celebration, all orchestrated with exceptional mastery by an artist with keen sensitivity.
Who is Bertille Bak?
Bertille Bak, French visual artist born in Arras in 1983 and living in Paris, shapes her expression through video, installation, sculpture and drawing. His work probes the concepts of identity, community, territory and memory. Represented by Galerie Xippas in Paris, Bak is an essential figure in the contemporary art scene.
Her artistic journey began at the Paris School of Fine Arts, where she studied in the studio of Christian Boltanski from 2002 to 2007. The following year, she continued her artistic explorations at the Fresnoy Studio National des Arts Contemporains in Tourcoing, France. Her first works, created in 2005, explore the mining towns of northern France, a subject that resonates with her roots as the granddaughter of a miner.
Bertille Bak's artistic method is characterized by its prolonged immersion within specific, often marginalized, communities. Its objective is to grasp the habits, rituals, mechanisms and links that unite these groups to others. Establishing a relationship of trust with the members of these communities, she invites them to collaborate on projects shaped according to their environment. According to Laurent Jeanpierre, Bak is not content with creating a conventional portrait of a community with its symbols, rituals and clans. His decentered gaze focuses on the collective, observing downtime, wanderings and ordinary gestures that escape regulated community life.
The artist's approach goes beyond the traditional analysis of a community by a researcher or ethnographer. She adopts a mode of poetic collaboration with the individuals who make up these communities. Jessica Castex emphasizes that Bertille Bak is a storyteller who draws inspiration from real events to create captivating visual stories.
Bertille Bak, through her unique artistic commitment, transcends the boundaries between art and daily life, establishing a singular dialogue between the viewer and the often overlooked realities that she explores with remarkable finesse and sensitivity.
Date: February 13 to May 26, 2024
Location: Musée du Jeu de Paume de Paris
Desires: Photography, community, society, rituals
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