Xeros. Group show with Bernard Bazile, Ursula Biemann, Monica Bonvicini, Carole Bove, Tom Burr, Jeff Burton, Michel Dorais, Christelle Familiari, K8 Hardy, Johnny Jensen, Alain della Negra, Nadine Norman, Marion von Osten, le Planning Familial de l’Isère, Michaël Tramoy, Marnie Weber, curated with Damien Airault, Stephanie Garzanti, Estelle Nabeyrat et Benoit Villain.
Xeros was a project on the notions of space and sexuality, developed as part of a research and experimentation work on curatorial practices,. In this project, the question was to consider both how sexualities appropriate spaces, divert their usual functions, and, conversely, how spaces influence sexual practices and conditions. But, beyond this observation, to connect sexualities – in their practices as well as in their representations – and space is to show sexualities “in situation”, to inscribe them in a physical relationship to the exhibition space.The resulting exhibition consisted of documents (images, texts, etc.) provided by several contributors: artists, ethnologists, sociologists, social workers, etc. They thus collaborated in the creation of archive first deployed in space, which will later be published. This project was presented in a place that emphasises its discursive dimension and offers a contextualization of the issues raised. In Grenoble, The Family Planning, created in 1961, appeared to be a pioneering place in terms of reflection on sexuality. In addition, the desire to connect approaches and audiences finds in this collaboration the possibility of bringing together visitors to exhibitions of contemporary art and users of Family Planning.
This exhibition took place in the Family Planing of Grenoble, within the framework of a session of l’Ecole du Magasin, a curatorial program at Le Magasin, CNAC from June 24, 2002 to July 19th 2002. More information about L’Ecole du Magasin here. The year after, it was repeated, with a different list of artists at Public, in Paris.
image credits: damien airault, valerie chartrain