Two exhibitions
dal 11/9/2012 al 10/11/2012
Segnalato da
11/9/2012
Two exhibitions
Kunsthalle Mulhouse Centre d'art contemporain, Mulhouse
Elena Costelian and Chourouk Hriech. The two artists have several points in common: both are passionate women, from the same generation and of foreign origins. The two exhibitions have also some shared themes: history, mise-en-scene and sincerity.
Tchernobyl on tour by Elena Costelian
and
... et s'en aller by Chourouk Hriech
Curator Sandrine Wymann
Tchernobyl on tour by Elena Costelian and ... et s'en aller by Chourouk Hriech are two individual
exhibitions which do not only share an exhibition space, but form a rich dialogue. These exhibitions deal
with history, both personal and national, linking it with contemporary art and making it into their motivating
force.
The two artists have several points in common: both are determined, dynamic and passionate women, from
the same generation and of foreign origins. The two exhibitions have also some shared themes: history,
mise-en-scène and sincerity.
But it is primarily an intuition that has led to the desire to link them.
Elena Costelian works on recent history, full of areas where we are not yet sure what we think, and where
the issues at stake go beyond the individual scale. Her realist installations have a strong theatrical note and
inspire shock. It is impossible to innocently pass by one of her works, she destabilises us and makes us lose
our bearings, provoking embarrassment and the uncomfortable feeling of being the spectator of a world
that does not turn around.
Chourouk Hriech travels within a territory which opens out from the eye to the hand. The artist crosses the
distance between the two by following a complex line enriched by her observations, memories and
emotions. Her designs, like rhizomes, are spread out on the walls and transport the spectator to a world
made up of a thousand different realities, all related to travel and escapism.
Elena Costelian and Chourouk Hriech have two very different forms of expression, but which work together
to reveal the complexity of human nature and mood. From chaos to escapism, Tchernobyl on tour and ... et
s’en aller, represent two sincere and attentive readings of the world around us.
Elena Costelian
Lives and works in France
From installations to theatrical performances and scenography, Elena Costelian uses historical sites as a
basis for her work. The idea of returning to these places is not unrelated to the experience of exile. She is
particularly sensitive to the relationship between collective and individual memory, and concentrates not
only on places that have disappeared or been ignored, but also on places that have yet to develop.
Completed degrees at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Nantes in 2002, and the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs in
Strasbourg in 2007.
In 2009, Elena Costelian put on her first major work, entitled Transit, at Théâtre Le Maillon in Strasbourg.
The piece combined installations, performance and theatre (diffused on ARTE in October 2009). While
working on photography and sound, Elena Costelian and Julie Meyer launched the Sail the world project,
which involved an Atlantic crossing (the project was aided by the Finistère General Council and the Centre
Atlantique de la Photographie).
A follow-up to Chernobyl on Tour will be presented at the Center for Book Arts in New York in 2013.
Chourouk Hriech
Lives and works at Marseille
Chourouk Hreich’s work is essentially developed around drawings. Her research is based on the observation
of changing landscapes; she navigates through the worlds she discovers.
She obtained a degree from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Lyon and recently participated in Art Dubai (2012),
as well as the CRAC in Sète and the 8th Shanghai Biennial in 2010.
As part of the T3 Project in 2012, thanks to a proposal by Nathalie Viot and Christian Bernard, her drawings
were made part of the Paris Municipal Fund for Contemporary Art.
Image: Chourouk Hriech, Natures, 2009. Drawing in Indian ink
Press office:
Clarisse Schwarb Tél. +33 (0)3 69776628 clarisse.schwarb@mulhouse.fr
Press conference: Wednesday 12th September at 5.30p.m
Vernissage: Wednesday 12th September at 6.30p.m
La Kunsthalle Mulhouse / La Fonderie Centre d'art contemporain
16 rue de la Fonderie 68093 Mulhouse Cedex
Opening hours
Open Wednesday to Friday, noon to 6 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 2 pm to 6 pm; late-night opening
Thursdays until 8 pm
Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and November 1st
Free admission