Bordeaux Art & Design confirms its unique positioning in the contemporary art fair landscape with an unprecedented initiative for a market player: for this third edition, it launches an artist residency program.
"This is about developing the curatorial aspect while strengthening ties with the local area," says the new artistic director, Marie Maertens. Founder Jean-Daniel Compain further explains, "In Bordeaux, there's a permanent presence of art in life, in the city, and in the vineyards, which we've demonstrated through partnerships with chateaus and prominent collectors like Smith Haut Lafitte, Chasse-Spleen, Fleur de Lisse, or Pape Clément. This has led us to establish these artist residencies."
The first to respond is Florence Cathiard, already very active as she has transformed the 87 hectares of Château Smith Haut Lafitte into a sculpture park. She hosts Lélia Demoisy (represented by Lara Sedbon) "wishes to create a work using local wood and will be assisted by the artisans who build the barrels, as the chateau is the only one still employing coopers," Marie Maertens informs us.
Sean Crossley (Harlan Levey Projects) will spend a few days in the Yndō Cabin in Cap Ferret and already knows he will produce "a series of 7 canvases, one per day, which will be presented as a timed element of this production period. The context of oyster farming in Cap Ferret seems to me a subject related to my research on liquidity (a term to be taken literally but also evoking economics and culture).
Château Larteau presents an exhibition of contemporary artworks curated by Marie Maertens. In this 18th-century chateau on the banks of the Dordogne and surrounded by legendary vineyards, the works of contemporary artists will engage in dialogue with the chateau's spaces throughout the summer. When the art market and creation become one.
Sean Crossley, Recycleur - 2020 - 2024 Oil on linen 60 x 73 cm Courtesy of the artist and Harlan Levey Projects gallery