In December, as part of Art-Hop-Polis, the Fondation des Etats Unis is featuring an installation by Carol-Ann Braun and Diane de Cicco. Both use text — a poem and the language of genetic code — as a “pre-text” for visual expression. Carol-Ann Braun has interpreted a poem entitled « Sonnet Sequence », by Blake Leland. The poem combines a dozen or so words: everything, nothing, happens, changes, how, since, when, where, but…It evokes, not without irony, a broken record skipping over the same track of life. In this installation, each sentence of the poem corresponds to a different “shot” of a sculpture in the making, exploring facets of an artistic process, revealed over time. Diane de Cicco combines elements inspired by biological forms in order to highlight the plasticity of being. It is a way of expressing and even widen the notion of epigenetics, a branch of science that explores the gap between what is innate and acquired. The artist draws from her past as a molecular biologist to make a stand and echo the statement by researcher Jacques Testart who says that “the molecular analysis of man has shown that science has nothing to say about humanity.” DNA is but the script of a play and we are the actors.
About the Artists
Carol-Ann Braun began exploring digital media in the early 80s, scanning then transforming individual works into series and animations. When she moved to Paris in 1991, she co-authored several interactive virtual environments. Today, her work also includes creating and running transmedial community projects.
Franco-American by birth, Diane de Cicco studied biology at the University of London before moving to the States to carry out post-doctoral research. In 1984, she decided to quit science and study photography, which eventually led her to drawing and painting from 1996 onward. She has been living in France since 1990 and has a studio in Ivry-sur-Seine.
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday from 10am to 12:30pm and 2:30pm to 6pm. Evenings or weekends by appointment only: contact@feusa.org
Exceptional opening hours : December 20, @6pm, musical visit with the artists, December 29, from 10am to 12:30pm, December 30, from 10am to 12:30pm
Exceptional closing hours December 12, all day and December 14, in the morning.
The vernissage will take place on Wednesday, December 6 from 7-8.30pm as part of Art-Hop-Polis, art hopping at the Cité internationale. The detailed program is available on CitéScope. Join the Facebook event page to receive a reminder!