Paris, France —The autumn of the arts is upon us in Paris with major fairs, special gallery shows, installation exhibitions and competitions around the capital offering venues for both established and emerging artists. The latter were being showcased in the aptly named Revelations show of the Fondation Emerige (Emerige Foundation) being held this year for the ninth time and which was curated by Gaël Charbau. Twelve finalists from the French art scene were selected from over 1,000 applications. All visual artists under the age of 35 working or living in France and who are not represented by a gallery are eligible. Mediums include paintings, sculptures, videos and sculptures. This year’s show entitled Douze preuves d’amour (Twelve Proofs of Love) was held in a splendid locale, a converted garage offering plenty of spaces and high walls for the works.

« This proof is the relationship that each and everyone of us has with creative work, it is what gives rise to a multitude of emotions and touches us, in the physical sense of the world, » explained Laurent Dumas who created the Emerige Revelations Grant — awarded to one of the participating artists — in 2014 and is the Chairman of the Emerige Supervisory Board. The winner of the Emerge Foundation Grant receives professional support, a workshop for one year at La Ruche, a celebrated Parisian space for young artists, and a grant of 15,000 euros to create their first solo show.

The group show offered a panorama of young artists working in myriad mediums. Abdelhak Benallou presented a trio of a stunning, timeless still life and ultra tightly cropped portraits painted in oil on canvas. Antonin Hako’s oil and mixed mediums on canvas works were soothing and presented in a triptych for the group show. His large works, ever so vibrant, require the artist to paint both flat on the floor to high up on the wall working from a ladder. Meanwhile Valentin Ranger creates fantastical, immersive digital worlds through 3D videos and colored pencil drawings.

Some of the most intriguing pieces in the show come from a series by Gillian Brett who lives and works in Marseille. Eye-catching bionic plants, a lake of « chemicals », clouds and an astronomical observation intrigue and upon closer inspection one finds a deconstruction of the world of technology touted for being so green and environmentally friendly, which it isn’t. She puts together chip cards, components, cables, metals and plastics. She explained that she uses these items to demonstrate that technology requires the mining of the earth — petroleum for plastic, rare earth for microchips — in order to exist. LCD screens that she methodically breaks, burns and perforates to create surprisingly beautiful compositions representing the sky, also serve as a canvas for the artist.

This year’s Emerige Revelations Grant was awarded to Dora Jeridi on October 18th. The artist who lives and works in Paris creates paintings that evoke chaotic landscapes or are peopled with haunting beings. Her works are seizing, immediately drawing in the eye. The Special Jury prize was awarded to Mr. Ranger who will also have a solo exhibition. The gallery giving professional support this year is the Parisian-based mor charpentier gallery which represents both established and emerging artists and has just opened an exhibition space in Bogotà, Colombia.
Each of the 12 artists has produced a numbered lithograph printed by the Michael Woolworth studio in Paris that is available for purchase at the exhibition.
©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette
Exhibition until November 13th in Paris from Wednesdays to Sundays, noon until 7pm
190 rue Lecourbe
75015 Paris
In Provence from December 9 until February 11 from Tuesdays to Saturdays, 11am until 6pm
l’Hôtel des Arts
236 boulevard Maréchal Leclerc
83000 Toulouse
http://revelations-emerige.com/