Artists: Livia Di Giovanna, Frédéric Gabioud, Sara Ivone, Blaise Parmentier, Guillaume Pellay, Belle Poudre, Marion Ritzmann, Denis Savary, Anaïs Wenger, Sophie Yerly, Dirk Bell, Reto Pulfer
Exhibition title: Sympathie
Venue: CAN Centre d’Art Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Date: September 21 – December 14, 2018
Photography: Sebastian Verdon / all images copyright and courtesy of the artists and CAN Centre d’Art Neuchâtel
The first exhibition, imagined by the new team at CAN, should be seen as a period of ac-climation. A time that allows us to become familiar with our new colleagues and slowly make our marks. Accompanied by a group of artists and other sympathetic collaborators, we are working together towards a symbolic reconstruction of CAN. This exhibition ex-tends over the three months of the autumn season, 2018, and is punctuated by three in-termediate events; evenings dedicated to contemporary performances. From an initial si-tuation where the roles of the exhibition spaces have been redistributed (a stock, a work-shop and a living-room are installed) to a classic exhibition at the end, different states of the exhibition will follow one another. On display from the first day we opened to the pu-blic, the evolutionary dimension of the project Sympathie (which will still go through un-certain phases) will gain its rhythm through the performance programs. This time-scale will work as a distinct marker that the spectators can interpret as an invitation to come (re)discover the exhibition. Our intention is to put in place a favourable context in which human affinities and artistic influences can come to light, in a type of chain reaction. An exhibition setup is generally a time of effervescence when the art centre comes alive and where powerful exchanges are created between the participants. But this moment is gene-rally not seen or felt by the public. With Sympathie we are attempting to reverse this ten-dency by stretching out this moment, by making it more accessible and by reducing the conventional experience of an exhibition to just one night, the Opening/Closing event on December 14th, 2018.
The reorganisation of the exhibition spaces into functional spaces is a fictional realloca-tion. Instead of seeing the usual spaces of an exhibition, visitors discover an artist studio (and workshop), a repository (stocked works created in situ or shipped) and a living-room (for rest and reading). This type of space is, somewhat, missing in the art centres current configuration and it seemed necessary to create a more comfortable work environment and to welcome artists in a better adapted manner. It is also a more general observation of the CANs situation that we want to engage: its architecture, its location in the old part of town in Neuchâtel and the art works found in the public space (graffiti), its main entrance hidden between the terraces of the neighbouring bar, its enigmatic hallway and large stair-case that leads to the reception on the third floor, etc.
The exhibition Sympathie presents itself as a herald of the experimental and audacious program to come from the new team at CAN.
Anaïs Wenger, Marianne, 2018, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits: Sebastian Verdon
Blaise Parmentier & Guillaume Pellay (Starting tome the left) Silver Chrome 1, Silver Chrome 5, Silver Chrome 3, Silver Chrome 8, Silver Chrome 7, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits: Sebastian Verdon
Blaise Parmentier & Guillaume Pellay, Silver Chrome (5,8,3) 2018, in the background: Marion Ritzmann, Formation (strange attractor) #1, 2016, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits: Sebastian Verdon
Left : Sara Ivone, Extensão Retractil, primeira parte, animation, 2018, Right : Denis Savary Hanoï V, 2017, Courtesy Maria Bernheim Gallery, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits: Sebastian Verdon
Left : Denis Savary, Hanoï II, 2017, Courtesy Maria Bernheim Gallery, Right : Livia Di Giovanna, Basket, 2017, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Frédéric Gabioud, Double or Nothing, 2015, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Frédéric Gabioud, Double or Nothing, 2018, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Left : Frédéric Gabioud, Double or Nothing, 2018, Middle : Blaise Parmentier & Guillaume Pellay, Silver Chrome (3,8) 2018, Right : Marion Ritzmann, On turns, lines and areas (with pot plant), 2018, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Livia Di Giovanna, Basket, 2017, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Livia Di Giovanna, Repro, 2018, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Livia Di Giovanna, Hier und Jetzt, 2018, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Marion Ritzmann, Formation (strange attractor) #1, 2016, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Marion Ritzmann, On turns, lines and areas (with pot plant), 2018, CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
CANxUrbaines, Ofelia Jarl Ortega, C in the mud, 2018, CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Anne Sylvie Henchoz, Don’t Forget to Touch Me (in diagonal), 2018, CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Carte blanche Laurence Wagner & Madeleine Amsler, Sonia Kacem – Bea McMahon, 2018, CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Reto Pulfer, Zustand der Eintrocknung Rohzustand, 2015–2018, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Belle Poudre (Reto Pulfer & Dirk Bell), Horchideen can must not, 2018, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Belle Poudre (Reto Pulfer & Dirk Bell), Horchideen can must not, 2018, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Sara Ivone, Sara Ivone, Extensão Retractil, segunda parte, 2018, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Sara Ivone, Sara Ivone, Alsas, Extensão Retractil, segunda parte, 2018, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Sara Ivone, Sara Ivone, Extensão Retractil, primeira parte, animation, 2018, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Sophie Yerli, Buy Every Image, 2018, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
Anaïs Wenger, Marianne, 2018, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Photo credits: Sebastian Verdon
Denis Savary, Hanoï I,II,III,IV, V, 2017. Denis Savary, Des Clous, 2007, installation view at CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel, 2018, Courtesy Maria Bernheim Gallery, Photo credits : Sebastian Verdon
