Artists studios
The Jacquard site was first (from 1968 to 2013) the Collège Jacquard, a college at the heart of the Chemin-Vert neighborhood, in the hearts of the residents, bitterly defended, before being closed, by parents and residents. Since then, it has become a well-kept, “inhabited” wasteland, a place of residence for artists, and a venue for friendly, community-oriented activities open to local residents. Two associations, La Centrifugeuz and Le Labo des Arts, share the management and animation of the site (which will close for urban renewal in June 2024).
In connection with a project on the memory of the site that these two associations have been carrying out in partnership with the city of Caen (Si Jacquard m’était décompté), I was invited to propose a photographic work on the life of the site for an exhibition of some forty photographs on tarpaulins, on the fences of the site, destined to remain as long as the winter storms would like to allow.
At the heart of the exhibition are the studios shared by the artists in the former classrooms, each with his or her own universe, in an apparent disorder of cluttered tables, tools, empty easels (or not), works begun, drafts, finished works waiting to be finished…; studios that are places for dialogue between different practices, opening onto corridors that invite you to push open doors, and windows that invite curious, indiscreet glances at the creative work. And let’s not forget the performing artists, actors and dancers, in residence for the year or more often on a temporary basis to explore an idea, advance a creative project…
Many thanks to the artists who agreed to play the game, to be the object of attention: the moments of shooting with all the actors on the site were moments of rich exchange. Finally, the success of any activity depends on the cooperation of many people: those who accepted the photographer’s presence and those who participated, to a greater or lesser extent, in the “Si Jacquard m’était décompté” project, the leaders of the associations, the people who work at the Pôle de Vie Nord-Ouest of the city of Caen and in the city’s printing department… we would like to thank them all warmly.
https://cboisnardphotographies.fr/
