In April, artists-in-residence Capucine Chessé and Messina Hernandez-Simpson present their exhibition 30m²: Forgotten Spaces. Through her daily drawing practice, Messina Hernandez-Simpson explores her environment in the form of a diary, while Capucine Chessé uses an art journal. In her work,
Capucine reveals the nooks and crannies of studios n°503 and n°505 on the 5th floor of the Fondation des États-Unis, a floor dedicated to artists of all disciplines; her diploma project at the École des Arts Décoratifs is supported by the NID, Fabrique des Nouveaux Imaginaires du Dessin/Hermès.
For Messina, this collection is a graphic diary of her daily environment. Here, she explores visual subjectivity and how, through artistic creation, she can better understand herself and her relationship with her home. These felt-tip drawings on white paper, produced on a daily basis, are intended to preserve visually these perceptions and memories of her personal space.
Each stroke of the pencil reveals lines, colours, lights, textures, patterns, solids and voids, offering a visual dive into these often overlooked spaces. At the heart of this shared exhibition, the interweaving of two distinct artistic perspectives creates a unique dynamic. On the one hand, Messina Hernandez-Simpson’s subjective, personal vision, captured through her diary, reveals an emotional intimacy with the environment. On the other, Capucine Chessé’s objective, architectural approach, recorded in her journal, offers a rigorous analysis of structures and forms.
These two creative paths, though divergent in their methods, weave a harmonious dialogue, enriched by the mutuality of their inspiration for the concept of home. This synergy creates a unique artistic experience, where personal expression meets architectural rigor to form a complete and nuanced vision of the spaces explored.
Practical Information
Dates April 3-April 26 | Opening Monday-Friday 10:30am-12:30 / 2:30pm-5:30pm | Getting to FEU
Grand Opening
Date Wednesday, April 3 | Time 7-8:30pm | Facebook Event
Art-Hop-Polis : The detailed program is available on CitéScope
Guided Tours
More dates to visit in the presence of the artist coming soon.
If you wish to come at another time, please contact us at contact@fondationdesetatsunis.org
About the Artist
Student first at the Duperré School, then at École des Arts Décoratifs of Paris in Cinema Animation, Capucine Chessé develops a practice centred on the narration of places.
Her journey began with a victory in a European architectural competition in 2020,«PRIMA», whose winning project was built in concrete in the Nord pas de Calais. She also won a mapping competition organised by «Éditions Michelin, focusing on the Basco-Landaise coast, a region linked to her childhood. In addition, her interest in the landscape of the Var was marked by a collaboration with the «Fondation de Carmignac», where she made a wooden model on display in their garden.
During her studies, Capucine explored different places, including Japan and South Korea, where she spent 6 months learning pottery and graphic design at Kaywon University. Her latest film captures the atmosphere of the street markets that she frequented.
Currently, she is focusing on the United States Foundation, in particular on the 5th floor, home of artists and musicians, which she will explore as part of her graduate project.
Follow Capucine on Linkedin, Instagram and Twitter.
Messina Hernandez-Simpson is an American artist and student who’s academic journey began in New York at Sarah Lawrence college where she pursued an undergraduate degree in fine arts. This period allowed for her exploration and development of new artistic techniques as well as her initial opportunity to move to France through a study abroad program. Since she has resided in the fifth floor artist residencies of the Fondation des Etats Unis for the last two years. In this studio, she has been able to create an array of artistic works, from acrylic, gouache and oil paintings to lithographs and drawings. Her artistic focuses vary from portraiture and still lives to a more recent passion; lithographic printmaking coupled with a return to her first artistic tool; the marker. Last year, she had a solo exhibition also at the Fondation des Etats Unis which exhibited her collection of prints with 60 pieces on display. In the last year she has returned to the medium which she first used in her artistic endeavors: pen and ink as well as markers.
She has decided to continue her artistic and academic career in Paris where she is now in the midst of preparing an undergraduate degree in French literature at Université Paris Cité while still continuing her artistic pursuits independently. This latter pursuit manifests itself in a visual diary which she has been putting together to commemorate the space which has so influenced her creative process, the artist residency on the fifth floor of this very building.
Follow Messina on Linkedin, Instagram and Twitter.