Atelier 11 Open Studio : Je rêve d’Hygie

Atelier 11

Join us at Atelier 11 for an Open Studio to meet our artist in residence, Vanessa Brown. As part of her L'AiR Arts residency at Atelier 11, Vanessa will develop a body of work that intersects representations of Hygie with contemporary forms of ex-voto. In the 3rd century of our era, the sick and suffering of the Greek island of Paros recounted having dreams in which Hygie, the goddess of health, cleanliness and hygiene, appeared to offer them purification and healing. In the island's sanctuaries, ex-votos in the form of braided hair were draped over her statues alongside precious textiles, offered in gratitude for health regained or in prayer for longevity. The word hygiene, the practice (or ritual) aimed at preserving health and well-being, derives from the name Hygie. In the Greek pantheon, Hygie was the daughter of Esculape, the god of medicine, whose staff entwined with a serpent now serves as the modern symbol of pharmacy. As an artist whose research centers on votive objects, the body, healing, ritual and garment, Vanessa Brown is now turning her attention to the symbols and visual language of pharmacology. During her residency at Atelier 11, she will develop a body of work intersecting representations of Hygie with contemporary votive forms in colored glass, crafted using traditional stained-glass soldering techniques. Vanessa Brown first explored this process in 2022 while creating Inheritances, a work that introduced many of the formal and conceptual questions she will deepen during this residency. The Musée du Louvre holds in its collections a relief and a bust of Hygie; during her residency, the artist will photograph these sculptures, which will serve as the raw material for her project. Vanessa Brown (Canada / Luxembourg) works in sculpture, video and installation. Her practice consists of conveying her subjective experiences through specific materials, particularly those bearing a rich history, such as metal and glass, which offer a direct and artisanal relationship to craftsmanship. Fueled by research, Brown creates works that re-examine the historical uses of these materials in order to create new, unexpected affiliations, thereby pushing the boundaries of their traditional uses. Her practice is centered on the body — its presence, its needs and its sensory experiences in space — which she explores through the prisms of garment, adornment and tactility. Her recent projects question how mourning, ritual and transcendence manifest themselves in material culture and architecture, weaving together elements of healing, protection and craftsmanship to evoke presence, care and wonder.

Source: Paris Open Data ↗