DEVENIR GRAINEMAGAlI DANIAux & CéDRIC PIGotApril 08 – September 2014 / VIRtuAl SPACE

PRESSKIT

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HTTP://ESPACEVIRTUEL.JEUDEPAUME.ORG

❙ CURATORMarta Ponsa Salvador

❙ TeChniCAL TeAM Of The PROjeCTTristan nicoleau, développement, Paris

Younes harbour, 3D, Agadir

Gérard Vidal, translation & voice, Paris

Philippe Boisnard, 3D, video, interaction sound & image, Angoulême

Bruno Simon, 3D & web

Gilles Mardirossian, sound production, Paris

Caroline hancock, voice, Paris

André fèvre, sound design, Paris

❙ PARTneRSWith the support of the Ambassade Royale de norvège en france

The jeu de Paume receives a subsidy from the ministry of Culture and Communication.

it gratefully acknowledges support from neuflize Vie, its global partner.

❙ PReSS KiT OnLineVisuals, sounds and videos to be downloaded on the website www.jeudepaume.org

Section: Professionals / iD: presskit / Password: photos

❙ COnTACTSPress relations: Annabelle Floriant

+33 (0)1 47 03 13 22 / +33 (0)6 42 53 04 07 / annabellefloriant@jeudepaume.org

Communication: Anne Racine

+33 (0)1 47 03 13 29 / anneracine@jeudepaume.org

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The exhiBiTiOn

The interactive platform of artists Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot in the Jeu de Paume’s virtual

space will offer an unusual take on the issues surrounding energy and food management. From

8 April to September 2014 (http://espacevirtuel.jeudepaume.org).

One of the sections of this online project is devoted to the Global Seed Vault, an underground

bunker in the Svalbard archipelago, inside the Arctic circle, where seeds of all the plants that

provide food for humans are kept. Another section enables users to log onto a live stream from

Kirkenes, a small town in northern Norway, strategically located on the Barents Sea, where

prospecting for gas and oil reserves takes place.

The French artistic duo intend examining flora in terms of its active immobility, its flexibility

and adaptability, and its relevance as a model for devising new economic and social schemas.

In a globalised world where it is no longer possible to flee, the artists see plant stratagems as

ultra-contemporary models, drawing on them for inspiration to create their “Devenir Graine”

platform.

This work, with its diversity of content and media, takes as its starting point Kirkenes, a small town

in northern norway, strategically located on the Barents Sea, and the islands of the Svalbard

archipelago, situated inside the Arctic circle, which provide a metaphorical illustration of the relations

between man and nature.

By combining poetry, fiction, documentary, interviews and performance, “Devenir Graine” takes

a surrealist journey through the contemporary Arctic while tackling the hottest geopolitical and

geostrategic issues: global warming, urban development, cross-border collaboration between norway

and Russia, opening up of the Schengen zone, managing fossil fuel and nuclear resources, as well as

the development of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and the commercialisation of living things.

This project imagines the Arctic as a gigantic back up, a huge protective reserve, for a biocentric

humankind living in environments that are climate-controlled and designed to order. “The fridge world”

– a promise of death and eternity.

“The closest populated land to the north Pole is the Svalbard archipelago, situated inside the Arctic

circle, more than a thousand kilometres to the north of the Scandinavian peninsula. for a long time,

the place served as a base camp for whalers. Today it is inhabited by 3,000 polar bears and 2,600

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humans, for the most part norwegians and Russians, mostly concentrated on Spitzberg island, and

working in mining, tourism and scientific research. Svalbard University, which has around 500 students

and teachers from twenty-five countries is located at Longyearbyen, formerly Longyear City, named

after john Munroe Longyear, who founded the Arctic coal company. Longyearbyen is also the site of the

Global Seed Vault, excavated out of a sandstone mountain and inaugurated in 2008*”.

A section of this internet project will be devoted to this universal seed bank, with filmed interviews,

photographs and maps of places, sound recordings, films and testimonies.

The many specialists interviewed include: Cary fowler, former executive director of Global Crop

Diversity Trust, which set up the seed bank; Roland Von Bothmer, professor of genetics at the Swedish

University of Agricultural Science; eirik newth, astrophysicist; Kirill Korbrin, journalist for Radio europe/

Radio Liberty, Prague; William engdahl author of the book Seeds of Destruction: The Hidden Agenda of

Genetic Manipulation and natalja Kalinina, researcher with the Knipovich Polar Research institute of

Marine fisheries and Oceanography (Pinro), Russia.

3D simulations of the seed bank designed by the artists will allow you to explore the corridors of this

space interactively. Through short stories, in which science fiction cohabits with accounts of scientific

research in the Arctic, the artists give you the chance to imagine the atmosphere in this freezing

underground bunker. This multiform body of work will be regularly enriched by other online artistic

features.

The botanist francis hallé, in an interview with the philosopher Raphaël Bessis, explains that “The plant,

being fixed, must endure the vicissitudes of the environment where it is located. it cannot leave, and if

it is not capable of flexibility it dies. One can thus understand how extraordinarily flexible, even labile

and fluid, systems become established, and that applies to both the external form as well as behaviour

and the genome. To an extent, a plant must be capable of changing itself, otherwise it will disappear

because it is not adapted to its environment. An animal, if it does not like its conditions, has the option of

moving until it finds satisfactory conditions. in this respect, it does not need to change itself very much.

Animal flexibility in its external form is low, and the same applies to its genome. it has no reason to

change itself internally. A single genome suits it.”

* from the text by jean-noël Lafargue, published on the occasion of the exhibition of Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot at the

Pavillon Vendôme, Clichy.

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Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot, Devenir Graine. 3D simulation of the interior of the Global Seed Vault © Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot

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ARTiSTS❙ MAGALi DAniAUx & CéDRiC PiGOT

Born in 1976 and 1966. live & work in Paris.

Since they met, ten years ago, Magali and Cedric’s joint work bears the dual hallmark of experimentation

and performance. Their pieces bring together various media and associate elements from opposite

ranges, with a taste for connections between Sci-fi and documentary forms, high-tech engineering and

fantasy tales, heavyweight materials and fleeting sensations. Starting with installations and plastic objects,

their work soon included experimental actions and more immaterial artistic gestures. Videos, sound art,

music, olfactive research, virtual works bordering the digital arts, have formed, this past 3 years, a cycle of

works dealing with climate change, economic, politic and geo-strategic issues, urban development and

food management.

http://daniauxpigot.com/

❙ SOLO exhiBiTiOnS

2013 – épiderme affaibli – palais Sidi Mohamed Ben Youssef – médina de fès – Morocco

2013 – Distance K – galerie de l’institut français – fès-ville-nouvelle – Morocco

2010 – Lait frelaté – galerie eva hober – Paris

2007 – Minus habens – galerie eva hober – Paris

2007 – nécrophorus – galerie Chappe – Paris

2005 – Lo Moth – 100 Tonson Gallery – Bangkok

❙ PeRfORMAnCeS & SOUnD CReATiOnS

2013 – iRL Performances – 19 MiRACLeS – Paris – france

2013 – Le Placard – 19 MiRACLeS – Sèvres – france

2013 – 10 ans de MCD – 19 MiRACLeS – Gaîté lyrique – Paris – france

2013 – BiOfeeDBACK – Atelier de création radiophonique, france Culture (93.5 fM)

2013 – 19 Miracles + eau violette – Dar Batha – fès – Morocco

2012 – nachtradiofestival Radio Art Space – Berlin – Germany

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2012 – nachtradiofestival Radio Art Space – Postdam – Germany

2012 – Champs magnétiques – cinéma Le Balzac – Paris – france

2011 – The Radio as an Artspace – sur fM 88.8MhZ et Škuc Gallery – Ljubljana – Slovenia

2011 – B-Link festival / Radio As An Arts Space – Belgrade, Serbia

2011 – Arctic Tactics – Ultima, festival of Contemporary Music – opéra d’Oslo – norway

2011 – Arctic Tactics – Palais de Tokyo – Paris – france

2011 – Arctic Tactics – Atelier de création radiophonique, france Culture (93.5 fM)

2011 – 1/60e (65 x 60”) – Ambient Sunday – Gaîté lyrique – Paris – france

2011 – Lyophilized Music in Spray – Barents Spektakel – Kirkenes – norway

2010 – Volvox + Lyophilized Music in Spray – Synesthésie – Saint-Denis – france

2010 – Cyclone Kingkrab + Lyophilized Music in Spray – embobineuse – Marseille – france

2010 – Lait frelaté + Yetr – Data – Marseille – france

2010 – in extremis #6 – Théâtre Garonne – Toulouse – france

2010 – Lait frelaté – Cirque électrique – Paris – france

2008 – Ad Vitam ii – Atelier de création radiophonique, france Culture (93.5 fM)

2007 – Sol-air – inauguration de la ligne du TGV est – Metz – france

2007 – 1/60e – Atelier de création radiophonique, france Culture (93.5 fM)

❙ COLLeCTiVe exhiBiTiOnS

2013 – friends & family – galerie eva hober – Paris – france

2013 – Show Off Art fair – Paris – france

2013 – Chroniques des mondes possibles – festival Seconde nature – Aix-en-Provence – france

2013 – Au-delà de cette frontière, votre ticket n’est plus valable – Pavillon Vendôme – Clichy – france

2013 – Ticking Barents – Kirkenes – norway – curator: Luba Kusovnikova

2012 – Aapent forum – Poetry evening – Oslo – norway

2012 – Passage(s) – Biennale Design, Art et Transition – Toulouse – france

2011 – Anarchisation – + Si Affinité – fiAC – Paris – curator: Pascal Pique

2011 – Dreamtime n° 3 – grotte préhistorique du Mas-d’Azil – france – curator: Pascal Pique

2011 – Paysages d’ingérences – Synesthésie – Saint-Denis – curator: Anne-Marie Morice

2010 – Galaxie Pandora – Le Monte en l’air – Paris

2010 – Qui Vive ? – Moscow international Bienniale for Young Art – Moscou – Russia –

curator: Daria Pyrkina

2010 – éclaircies – Quai d’Angers – Angers – france – curator: Lauranne Germont

2009 – i Pray Daily for Michael! – galerie Chappe – Paris – france

2009 – indisciplines 09 – nice – france – curator: florence forterre

2009 – La force de l’art 02 – Grand Palais – Paris – france

2009 – Salon du dessin contemporain – Paris – france

2007 – fiac – stand de la galerie eva hober – Paris – france

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2007 – Multiples – galerie eva hober – Paris – france

2006 – noël – Le Commissariat – Paris – france

2006 – Video On Demand – Dis_Patch festival / CZKD – Belgrade – Serbia

2006 – Leurres, sournoiseries ou autres stratégies – galerie eOf – Paris – france

2006 – Paris is Burning – Rush Art Gallery – new York – USA – curator: Rashaad newsome

2006 – Territoires fantômes – Maison du geste et de l’image – Paris – france – curator: Mu

2005 – nuit Blanche – Paris – france

2005 – Video On Demand – Dis_Patch festival / SKC Gallery – Belgrade – Serbia – curator: Anne Roquigny

2005 – Video On Demand – Center new Media Kibla – Maribor – Slovenia – curator: Anne Roquigny

2004 – first Dashanzi international festival – Pékin – China – curator: huang Rui

2004 – erratum Tribute – Annecy – france – curator: joachim Montessuis

2003 – Tanz – galerie eOf – Paris – france

❙ PUBLiCATiOnS & CD

2013 – Dreamtime, art contemporain et tranhistoire, catalogue of the exhibitions, Grotte du Mas-d’Azil,

Les Abattoirs, fRAC Midi-Pyrénées

2010 – Self Portrait – 30 serigraphies numeroted and signed

2010 – Qui Vive ? Moscow International Bienniale for Young Art – catalogue of the exhibition

2010 – Cyclone Kingkrab and Piper Sigma – CD – éd. Coal

2009 – La Force de l’art, les virtuels – catalogue of the exhibition

2008 – jingles & génériques – compilation CD – label audio Stembogen – 72 min

2006 – Talkie-Walkie n° 3 – catalogue of the exhibition – curator: hortense Gauthier

2005 – Disinfected – Mini-CD – limited edition

❙ GRAnTS, AWARDS & ReSiDenCieS

2013 – Dar Batha – institut français – fès – Morocco

2012 – Mairie de Paris – france

2012 – Ambassade royale de norvège à Paris – france

2010 – Ambassade royale de norvège à Paris – france

2010 – finalistes pour le Coal Prize Art And environnement

2005 – Cite Siam – Bangkok – Cambodgia

2003 – Villa Médicis hors les murs – China

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ReLATeD eVenTS Tuesday 8 April at 7pm, auditorium of the Jeu de Paume

Discussion with Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot about their project “Devenir Graine”, produced for the

jeu de Paume’s virtual space. The discussion will be led by Véronique Godé, journalist, and Maria Ptqk,

exhibition curator

Wednesday 19 March at 7:19pm, media stage of the Gaîté Lyrique

Round table with Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot on the occasion of the launch of the web publication

devoted to the theme of the “Living”, edited by Maria Ptqk, exhibition curator

From 9 April, the “Devenir Graine” project will be open to visitors in the resource centre, located on the first floor

of the de la Gaîté lyrique.

❙ jeU De PAUMe’S ViRTUAL SPACe

The Jeu de Paume supports the online creation by presenting in its virtual space

projects of artists created for the web.

All the projects, presented since October 2007, are online :

– « L’Île de Paradis », Ultralab™

– « Local Time », Angela Detanico & Rafael Lain

– « Le Dadamètre », Christophe Bruno

– « The Angelo foundation : The headquarters », Angelo Plessas & Andreas Angeladakis

– « All Over », Samuel Bianchini

– « Alissa, discussion avec Miladus, elon/120/211/501 », Agnès de Cayeux

– « Les Trucs », collectif Microtruc

– « identités précaires », curator: Christophe Bruno

– « Blow-up », curators: Christophe Bruno & Daniele Balit

– « form@ts », curator: Christophe Bruno

– « erreur d’impression. Publier à l’ère du numérique », curator: Alessandro Ludovico

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Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot, Devenir Graine. Pontoon of the fish factory in Kirkenes © Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot

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PReSS ViSUALS

DG 01Magali Daniaux & Cédric PigotDevenir GraineAction in front of the Global Seed Vault at Svalbard, Longyearbyen, May 2012 © Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot

DG 02Magali Daniaux & Cédric PigotDevenir GraineKirkenes’s Stream © Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot

DG 03Magali Daniaux & Cédric PigotDevenir GrainePontoon of the fish factory in Kirkenes © Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot

❙ COnDiTiOnS fOR USe

The reproduction and representation of the images in the selection below is only authorized and free of

royalty fees for the purposes of promoting the exhibition at the jeu de Paume and only for its duration.

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DG 04Magali Daniaux & Cédric PigotDevenir GraineKirkenes’s harbour © Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot

DG 05Magali Daniaux & Cédric PigotDevenir GraineSvalbard’s pyramids© Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot

DG 06Magali Daniaux & Cédric PigotDevenir Graine3D simulation of the interiorof the Global Seed Vault © Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot

DG 07Magali Daniaux & Cédric PigotDevenir Grainehttp://soundcloud.com/schulz-4/devenir-graine© Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot

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DG 08Magali Daniaux & Cédric PigotDevenir Grainehttp://vimeo.com/81564594© Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot

DG 09Magali Daniaux & Cédric PigotDevenir Graine3D simulation of the interiorof the Global Seed Vault © Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot

DG 10Magali Daniaux & Cédric PigotDevenir Graine3D simulation of the interiorof the Global Seed Vault © Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot

DG 11Magali Daniaux & Cédric PigotDevenir Graine3D simulation of the interiorof the Global Seed Vault © Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot

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