Air Zen publishes an article about the first edition of Artivism featuring Arnaud Rinuccini
Transcription of article “Contemporary Art : a kick-off for Artivism in Bordeaux.” by Air Zen Radio
“Contemporary Art: a kick-off for Artivism in Bordeaux.”
Alexandra Mas, a visual artist from Bordeaux, is behind the event.. It showcases artists who tackle socio-ecological issues. Meet at Maison Manpaï. Until October 15, Maison Manpaï, a wellness center and art gallery in Bordeaux, hosts the first Artivism biennial. It was created by Alexandra Mas, a visual artist from Bordeaux. Artivism is an English neologism, a contraction of art/artist and activism/militancy. It’s also the name of her collective, founded in 2019. It brings together some one hundred international contemporary artists, drawn from her social-ecological activist work.
“I think art has this ability to carry messages much deeper into people’s souls than scientific lists and disastrous figures. It has this subtle ability to go deep inside us. And, ultimately, to teach us how to live again, to ask ourselves the right questions. At the very beginning, Artivism was forged around activism for the preservation of the oceans. It also has a strong sociological side”, explains the artist.
Alexandra Mas is exhibiting her work along with eight other artists: Célia Gouveiac, Christopher Lavenair, Hannah Mare, Sarah Olson, François Pohu-Lefèvre, Arnaud Rinuccini, Tori Tasch and Annette Werndl. In their own way, they all send out political, economic, ecological and spiritual messages.The whole project was chosen to match the biennial’s theme: serenity. “This theme was an obvious one when we talked about it with Jean Bercy, the founder of Maison Manpaï. I believe that poetry is our strongest weapon to find serenity at any moment of our lives”, explains the visual artist.
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The choice of the Maison Manpaï, an alternative and hybrid venue, as the venue for the biennial, is no accident. It’s part of a process to democratize contemporary art. That’s why this cultural event can also be seen online. The special feature here is that visual artists of all ages can share their creations online on the theme of “serenity”. The public will then be invited to vote online for their favorite works from the Artivism collective and “anonymous” artists. “So there will be two big winners that we’ll be announcing in October. They will get the opportunity to organize a long-term exhibition at Maison Manpaï. The aim is to anchor the artists in the Bordeaux landscape,” explains Alexandra Mas.
By Jennifer Biabatantou JOURNALIST
