Coquilles Mecaniques

Assembled by American art critic Joanna Fiduccia, CRAC Alsace presents the exhibition Coquilles Mécaniques. Works from fifteen European and American artists, many of whom exhibit for the first time, echo with pieces from American experimental jazz composer Conlon Nancarrow and Paul Valéry's book L'Homme et la Coquille.

In the 1940s, Conlon Nancarrow began a series of studies for player-piano, seeking its capacity to produce rhythmic patterns far too complex for human abilities. Paul Valéry's L'Homme et la Coquille deals with the incapacity for humans to conceive the natural process of shell formation. Both instances urge to question technical and natural knowledge, as well as to live a true sensory experience.

The works in the exhibition Coquilles mécaniques take up this principle: through simple protocols or procedures, they unexpectedly trigger states of excess, at times mildly, at others more wildly. In doing so, they invoke often buried forces of sensuality, memory or imagination. They are our luminous failures to master things in the world and spring up excessive productions where we expect the rhythms of discipline.

As well as earthly performances by Claude Cattelain, the opening reception reveals the wonderful opportunity to listen to some of Conlon Nancarrow's pieces for the piano player, presented by one of his greatest interpreters, Wolfgang Heisig.

Surrounding the exhibition are parallel events: musical and visual explorations with the collaboration of the Espace Multimédia Gantner (Regreb & Ogrob, Vincent Epplay and Samon Takahashi), and a film accompanied by live music for children (Mecanics).

With: Athanasios Argianas,Tauba Auerbach, Erica Baum, Lucas Blalock, Miriam Böhm, Carol Bove, Claude Cattelain, Tyler Coburn, John Divola, Simon Dybbroe Møller, Spencer Finch, Jennie C. Jones, Michael DeLucia, Euan MacDonald, Kelly Nipper, Ry Rocklen and Johannes Vogl + Project Room n°11: Joséphine Kaeppelin.

Exhibition curator: Joanna Fiduccia

Coquilles Mecaniques
Kurator: Joanna Fiduccia

Künstler: Athanasios Argianas, Tauba Auerbach, Erica Baum, Lucas Blalock, Miriam Böhm, Carol Bove, Claude Cattelain, Tyler Coburn, John Divola, Simon Dybbroe Moller, Spencer Finch, Jennie C. Jones, Michael DeLucia, Euan MacDonald, Kelly Nipper, Ry Rocklen, Johannes Vogl, Josephine Kaeppelin