Press Kit for Emo de Medeiros' exhibition "All things magic"

Un#lDecember10th,EmodeMedeirospresentshissecondsoloexhibi#on,"Allthingsmagic.”HehaspreviouslyshownhisworkattheSalondeMontrougein2013,attheDdessinInterna#onalContemporaryDrawingfairandattheCentreArtsetCulturesinAbomey-Calavi,Beninforhisshow“Vodunaut” in 2015. He is currently one of nine ar#sts in compe##on for the Prix Découverte(“DiscoveryPrize”)desAmisduPalaisdeTokyo.Thisna#veofBeninandFrancelivesandworksinParisandCotonou.With"Allthingsmagic"EmodeMedeirospresentsaninnova#ve,ambi#ousandspiritedproposal,mixingconceptual,tradi#onalandtechnologicalart.“An#-folk”anddigitallyconnectedElectrofe)shesstandalongsideelectrifiedSurtenturesthatrevisittheage-oldtechniqueof“appliquéedcloth”typicalof thehistoriographichangingsof theancientkingdomofDanhomè.Futuris#candenigma#cVodunauthelmets,andvideoworkslikethepictoriale-Canvasses,orthephilosophicalSISypheswiththeirhypno#cbeautyareamongthepiecesshownin"Allthingsmagic”whichcapturethegazeasmuchastheycap#vatethemind.FinissagepartyThursday,December10from7pmto10pm.Interviewabouttheexhibi#onwiththeartcri#cDagaraDakin:h]p://www.emodemedeiros.com/entre#en-avec-dagara-dakin-en.html

EmodeMedeirosAllthingsmagic GalerieRSF

9rueFrançaise,Paris75002

EmodeMedeirosVodunaut

Vaudunaut#3(Hyperfeeler),2015

ThehelmetsofVodunaut series,born fromadouble fascina#on forcowriesandsuperheroesare"hyperspace naviga#on interfaces" as well as ”hyperpowers inducers”. In the vodun religion inBenin,cowries(sincetheycomefromtheIndianOcean)areassociatedwiththesymbolismofthevoyage,haveaprotec#verole,andalsoserveasdivina#onobjects,givingaglimpseofthefuturethatheretransformintofuturism.En#relycoveredwiththesemysteriousandevoca#veshells,theVodunaut of "All things magic” incorporate video works displayed on smartphones that firmlyconnectthisseriestothecodesandsemesoftheir#me,likeelectronicbrains.Connecteddivina#onobjects,irrigatedbyasynthe#cbloodtheredofwhichisreallyhuman,theychargethemindwithimagina#on,intellectualpowerandemo#onalsharpness.

(fromleetoright)Vaudunaut#3(Hyperfeeler),2015Vaudunaut#2(Hypercharger),2015Vaudunaut#1(Hyperminder),2015

Vaudunaut#1(Hyperminder),2015

Surtenture#9(...althoughstrengthishiddeninthefoldsofthehap)cmind),2015

EmodeMedeirosSurtentures

FireheadisthenameofthedreamlikeandrecurringfigureintheSurtenturesseries.Thesenarra#veand enigma#cworks revive the technique and the form of the “appliquéed” hangings that haveexistedinBeninforfourcenturiesincourtart.Scanneddrawingsbythear#st,pictogramsgleanedontheInternetthenmodified,orsemesfromvideogamesareintertwinedinthese“tableaux”thatareelectronicallycomposed.Theyarethen“transcribed”usingpiecesofcoloredfabricbyar#sanswhoarethedescendantsofthosewhohavemadethehistoricalhangingsofAbomey.The#tlesoftheworks,designedinthestyleofthe"strongnames"ofDanhomè’skings,andthepresenceofNFCchipsthatdelivercryp#cmessagesarekeystointerpre#ngthesenon-linearnarra#ves.

(haut)Surtenture#8(......forthecrownshallrestonyourhead,oryourheadonthecrown),2015(bas)Surtenture#5(...lestanger’swhiteshadowconquersthefireman),2015

(foregroundonthelee)SaintSera,2015(foregroundontheright)SaintRhea,2015(middle)SaintHorney,2013(background)SaintAdsim,2015

SaintSebb,2015

EmodeMedeirosElectrofe2shes GalerieRueSansFraise

9rueFrançaise,Paris75002

The Electrofe)shes series, which combines "an#-folklore”, Duchamp’s ready-made approach andopera#vemagic is as formallyminimalist as its conceptual framework is complex. Thesewoodenstatue]esaremass-producedinBeninandNigeriawithanu#litarianpurpose:tobeusedinritualsthat “charge” them. That use is reverted by the interven#on of the ar#st, who adds electronicelementsandallowstheseworkstoalsofunc#onasreceiversandemi]ersofdigitalenergies.AlongwiththeirWarholiancolumns,thesecontemporarytotemsarenodesofimmaterialandprotec#veconnec#onsendowedwithopera#vetranscendentpowers.

SaintAdsim,2015

BioEmodeMedeiroslivesandworksinCotonou(Bénin)andinParis.HestudiedatEcoleNormaleSupérieure(Paris/Ulm),EcoleNa#onaleSupérieuredesBeaux-Arts(Paris),andattheMassachuse]sCollegeofArt(MassArt).Ar0ststatementEmo de Medeiros’ ar#s#c proposals always include a strong conceptual dimension, and arecharacterized by a par#cipatory, serial and rhythmic approach, by a mix of tradi#onal andtechnological materials and media, as well as an emphasis on the link between art andtranscendence. He uses many media, including drawing, video, photography, performance art,electronic music, fe#shes, irregular semes, phone calls, cowries, QR codes, performa#veinstalla#ons,embeddedscreens,orbull'shorns.Hisworkisbasedonasingleconcept,whichhecalls“contexture”.Fromtheidealtothematerial,texturescanrangefromtheno#onoftranscendence,milledsteel,theJungianconceptofPersona,toelectronicmusic,ortradi#onalBenineseFadivina#on.Threeprinciplesgovernthemixingofthetextures:rhythmicseriality,improvisa#onandcollec#vepar#cipa#on.Currentevents:- Solo exhibi#on “All things magic” à la galerie RSF, 9 rue Française, 75002 Paris, jusqu'au 6décembre.Interviewwiththeartcri#cDagaraDakinabouttheexhibi#on:h]p://www.emodemedeiros.com/entre#en-avec-dagara-dakin-en.html-Ar#stincompe##onforthePrixDécouverte(“DiscoveryPrize”)desAmisduPalaisdeTokyo.Upcoming:-Marrakechbiennale,February2016Recentexhibi0ons:2015:-Soloexhibi#on“Vodunaut”atCentreArtsetCulture(Abomey-Calavi,Bénin)-Soloexhibi#on(invitedar#st)atDdessinInterna#onaldrawingartfair(Paris)2014:-Performa#veInstalla#onKaleta/Kaleta,withinthecollec#veexhibi#on“Varia#ons”atgalerieJoseph(Paris)2013:-Installa#onBlackLightSanctuaryatthe58thSalondeMontrouge

EmodeMedeiros