Angoulême (Charente). It is not uncommon, in contemporary art exhibitions, that the text takes precedence over the works. “Groundwater: confluence stories” is an example.
Designed with the Instituto Tomie-Ohtake (São Paulo) as part of the Brazil-France 2025 season, the exhibition is interested in the traces of extractivism, slavery and colonialism which line the bottom of the waters. In the meanders of Charente, whose history is inseparable from triangular trade, but also in the bed of underground rivers of São Paulo, degraded by chemical pollution. These waters “In confluence” – The flagship concept of the exhibition, borrowed from the Brazilian thinker Nêgo bispo – allow commissioners Irene Aristizábal, Ana Roman and Catalina Bergues to focus on the specificities of the Charentais and Paulista territories while valuing an unsuspected interconnection between France and Brazil. A decolonial thought as surprising as they are convincing.
Only, the works of the twelve artists selected (6 Brazilians and 6 French) struggle to produce a effect as striking as the almost philosophical demonstration of the commissioners. Julien Creuzet presents one of his pieces exhibited during the 60th Biennale de Venise (2024) as well as three new works entitled Chiromancy of desired waters (2025), controlled by the FRAC. The reasons for these plane sculptures in Corten steel, arranged on the ground, are inspired by the colonial iconography studied in the Departmental Archives of Charente. But these three works are too literal, too school, as if Creuzet had wanted to faithfully transcribe the purpose of the exhibition, thereby forgetting its characteristic plastic language.
Relevant “buoys”
Certain works of the exhibition are unfortunately the reflection of one of the main pitfalls of contemporary art: their quality of execution and their shape are much lower than the intentions displayed by artists and curators. Installation Anamnesis refluxos: palafitas (2025), from Coletivo Coletores a sort of metallic pilot covered with bandanas whose iconography denounces the construction of dams on Brazilian rivers, is not distinguished neither by her plastic quality nor by the originality of its concept. Same note as to the videos bunk by Daniel de Paula in Aparência POSITIVA/ESSENCIA NEGATIVA
(2025), illustration of the ravages of extractivism without much artistic interest. [voir ill.]Some proposals fortunately stand out: the translucent sculptures of Barbara Kairos
ERRATUM – Friday June 6, 2025 Contrary to what has been published in the Jda n ° 657, this is not the installation Distance, north, open, sufficiency of the Duo Vitor Cesar & Enrico Rocha but of
Anamnesis refluxos: palafitasMade by Coletivo Coletores.
