Renaud Jerez at Crèvecoeur

Artist: Renaud Jerez 

Exhibition title: Pandæmonium II

Venue: Crèvecoeur, Paris, France

Date: September 4 – October 9, 2021

Photography: © Aurélien Mole, all images copyright and courtesy of the artist and Crèvecoeur, Paris

Pandæmonium II is the second excursion into the entirety of my obsessions, fads and fantasies during the Covid-19 pandemic; the first having being suspended for now. This cycle of two exhibitions is intended to mark the end of a long episode of depression and the use of narcotics, as well as other prescription drugs. The term Pandæmonium is taken from its creator, John Milton, who published it for the first time in line 755 of the first book of his epic poem, Paradise Lost, as the name of the capital of hell.

Pandæmonium II is a series of four sculptures, black in substance and yellow in light. The sculptures have been lined up according to the lengthwise architecture of the gallery. They have been positioned on plinths made of Setacryl® with mirrors of alternatively blue and red colours. I mainly used composite materials, derived from old organic matter, compressed into the deep geological layers of the planet on which I live.

The two sculptures at the ends have an anthropomorphic nature, while those in the middle are reminiscent of a household. Organised in this way, I have created a landscape, or a horizon that recalls the staging of occult rituals, just as much as a store of contemporary kitchens for connected homes.

In general, the term “fire” describes a phenomenon that produces thermal and luminous energy. It is also the visible degradation of matter. On a symbolic level, fire is the main element in hell as well as the ecozone of demons. Historically the tool of military control, it has taken a technological place as controlling driver of our perceptions and thoughts.

Renaud Jerez, Pandæmonium II, 2021 Exhibition view, Crèvecœur, Paris. Courtesy of the artist and Crèvecœur, Paris. © Aurélien Mole

Renaud Jerez, Pandæmonium II, 2021 Exhibition view, Crèvecœur, Paris. Courtesy of the artist and Crèvecœur, Paris. © Aurélien Mole

Renaud Jerez, Pandæmonium II, 2021 Exhibition view, Crèvecœur, Paris. Courtesy of the artist and Crèvecœur, Paris. © Aurélien Mole

Renaud Jerez Alarme, 2021, detail. Courtesy of the artist and Crèvecœur, Paris. © Aurélien Mole

Renaud Jerez Foyer I, 2021, detail. Courtesy of the artist and Crèvecœur, Paris. © Aurélien Mole

Renaud Jerez Foyer I, 2021, detail. Courtesy of the artist and Crèvecœur, Paris. © Aurélien Mole

Renaud Jerez Foyer II, 2021, detail. Courtesy of the artist and Crèvecœur, Paris. © Aurélien Mole

Renaud Jerez Âme, 2021, detail. Courtesy of the artist and Crèvecœur, Paris. © Aurélien Mole

Renaud Jerez Âme, 2021, detail. Courtesy of the artist and Crèvecœur, Paris. © Aurélien Mole