{"id":6245,"date":"2018-10-07T20:09:35","date_gmt":"2018-10-07T19:09:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sculpture-nature_local.test\/?p=6245"},"modified":"2018-12-15T14:58:12","modified_gmt":"2018-12-15T13:58:12","slug":"la-littorale-contemporary-art-biennial-in-anglet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sculpture-nature_local.test\/en\/la-littorale-contemporary-art-biennial-in-anglet\/","title":{"rendered":"La Littorale, Contemporary Art Biennial in Anglet"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 7th edition of the International Contemporary Art Biennial Anglet\u00a0 \u2013 C\u00f4te Basque, La Littorale<\/em>, is held in Anglet, France, from August 24th<\/sup> to November 4th<\/sup>, 2018. The curator of this edition, Richard Leydier, has imagined an itinerary around \u201cLa Chambre d\u2019Amour\u201d, the last beach of Anglet before the lighthouse of Biarritz. It unveils artworks by eleven artists, each exploring a facet of love or of its expression: Madeleine Berkhemer, J\u00e9r\u00e9my Demester, Tadashi Kawamata, Grout\/Maz\u00e9as, Bernhard Martin, Laure Mary-Cou\u00e9gnias, Jay Nelson & Rachel Kaye, St\u00e9phane Pencr\u00e9ac\u2019h, Remed, Lionel Scoccimarro and Anne Wenzel.<\/p>\n

Atop the Love Tower<\/em> built for the occasion by Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata, spectators can gaze at the Atlantic, beaches and rocks of the Chambre d\u2019Amour<\/em>. Facing them, the immensity, at times luminous and serene, at times tormented and stormy, is ever changing. Love and ocean: an easy\u00a0but effective metaphor. This 13-foot-high wooden tower, crowned with a large deck (to observe, or to\u00a0encounter love\u2026) is located just above a cave named \u201cLa Chambre d\u2019amour\u201d (the love chamber) after an\u00a018th century Basque legend \u2013 the story of two lovers led to a tragic end by thwarted love. The legend became the underlying thread of this edition imagined by Richard Leydier.<\/p>\n

Artist Lionel Scoccimarro blocks the access and visibility of this legendary cave with his Love Palissade<\/em>: a palisade made of light wood (80\u2019s surf shop aesthetic) onto which are attached red neon lights (timeless sex shop aesthetic) listing surfing spots with evocative names: \u201cPraia do amor\u201d, \u201cPetites mamelles\u201d, \u201cBaie des sirens\u201d, \u201cPleasure Point\u201d, \u201cLes culs nus\u201d \u2026 Scoccimarro plays with the idea of a lovers\u2019 meeting place, secret or discreet, and with the ambivalence of the palisade, which all together protects and signals the entrance of the cave.<\/p>\n

The artworks come one after the other along the itinerary: proposals that evoke feminity, ideals and seduction (Love is the air<\/em>\u00a0by St\u00e9phane Pencr\u00e9ac\u2019h; Quando vedrete moi caro amore <\/em>by Madeleine Berkhemer), artwork-furniture, calling for closeness (Is it you looking for me<\/em> by Bernhard Martin; A structure for sharing<\/em> by Jay Nelson & Rachel Kaye), sculptures that celebrate the multiplicity of the feelings of love (June<\/em> by J\u00e9r\u00e9my Demester; La Copula<\/em> by Remed; Invalid Icon (Anglet) <\/em>by Anne Wenzel). German artist Anne Wenzel created an earthen reinterpretation of La Pieta<\/em>, beheaded, compassionate figure. From the trail, one can only see the back of La Pieta<\/em>. She is facing the ocean, just like Friedrich\u2019s character. The gaze follows that of the sculpture and is carried toward the horizon.<\/p>\n

The itinerary is punctuated by a series of paintings by Laure Mary-Cou\u00e9gnias, installed directly on the ground, representing animals posing in a lush and flowery environment. Each painting explores a moment of a love story, from vigorous passion to peaceful union, from first encounter to separation: an invitation to explore one\u2019s own story.<\/p>\n

For this 7th edition of the Anglet Biennial, Richard Leydier gathers works of human scale, in a space limited to a focal point \u2013 La Chambre d\u2019Amour \u2013 thus offering a more intimate edition than the previous ones. In addition to the question of Love, Richard Leydier also pays homage to the \u201csurfing spirit\u201d of the Basque coast, with artworks that take responsibility for the reference they make (Lionel Scoccimarro or Grout\/Maz\u00e9as) and that face the ocean, which is best vantage point is off the coast, on a surf board\u2026<\/p>\n

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La Littorale<\/strong><\/a>
\nThrough November 4th<\/sup>, 2018
\nOutdoor, on the site of la Chambre d’Amour, Anglet, France
\nEveryday, all day
\nFree<\/p>\n

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