In Romainville, 42 possible talents

Romainville (Seine-Saint-Denis). “For those who wonder what public art and design schools are for in France, the answer is here! » Keimis Henni, co-founder in 2015 with Anna Labouze of the Artagon association (Marseille, Paris), recalled at the time of its inauguration the challenges of the first edition of Art Emergence, organized with the approval of public partners, and the patronage of private partners, in particular the Fiminco Foundation.

At the center of this new event in support of young creation, an exhibition of the study projects of 42 artists and designers graduating in 2024. With the principle of territorial equity, that is, only one artist or creator selected per school. Three commissioners carried out an initial sorting among more than 300 application files. It is up to visitors, amateurs and professionals, to take their turn in the exhibition, entitled “Double Trouble”, which takes over the building of the Frac Île-de-France reserves and that of the boiler room of the Fiminco Foundation.

From the outset, it appears that the Regional Fund building, with its narrow floors and its glass facade, flooded with sunlight that day, overwhelms the “curatorial perspective” claimed. This is more perceptible in the space of the Fiminco Foundation where the works breathe better. The fact remains that at this stage of their promising, but nascent, career, the artists are for the most part still imbued with the influences that shaped them. And if we can note that the notion of decor and habitat is recurrent in the projects presented, we do not know whether we should see it as a significant trend or for example the distant echo of confinement.

What’s at stake for these budding talents? Take their work outside of school, subject it to outside eyes, to new questions, but also rub shoulders with other practices. The experience, because it also creates an opportunity for meetings and exchanges for an entire generation of artists and curators, is undoubtedly beneficial. In any case, this is what we wish for the participants of this first edition. Three weekends of open days of around thirty collective workshops are on the program of a route dedicated to emerging art, while a festival will be held on October 25 and 26 at the Maison des Métallos, the third part of the event, in its more festive side.