Transhumances
Cédric Breisacher, Sylvia Eustache Rool, Isac Elam Kaid, Jérôme Pereira, Frédéric Saulo, Flora Temnouche, Elisa Uberti and Willem van Hooff9 October - 2 December, 2021
Numeroventi, Florence
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In the aftermath of this unprecedented year, Transhumances II turned to the Renaissance era, to the notion of rebirth following the Dark Ages and the artistic flourishing that ensued, drawing here an interesting parallel between the isolation and hardship experienced during the pandemic and the cultural awakening that subsequently emerged. This theme was reflected in the chosen location of this year’s residency and exhibition at Numeroventi, in the heart of Florence.
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Eight artists from France, Canada, Germany, and The Netherlands were invited to take part in Transhumances II: Cédric Breisacher, Isac Elam Kaid, Sylvia Eustache Rools, Jérôme Pereira, Frédéric Saulou, Flora Temnouche, Elisa Uberti, and Willem van Hooff. They each experimented with the creative techniques used during the Renaissance, for instance with natural dyes, when extracting color pigments from flowers and other organic materials, sourced locally in Tuscany. Vibrant colors are a recurrent feature in their work, and the techniques of knife-painting and tempera, involving mixing egg yolk with ground color pigments to form an emulsion thinned with water, were also explored. Scagliola, a plaster technique that fully flourished in the final century of the Renaissance, was another process residents investigated; it was used as a substitute for marble, made from selenite, glue, and natural pigments, imitating the more expensive stone. Other locally sourced materials included clay, Impruneta terracotta, Sienna pigments, silk, Paesine, marble, and earth. For this residency, Florence, with its rich history and endless natural resources, offered a wealth of creative possibilities and perspectives.
The works that emerged from this experience were unveiled in October.
Images by Daniel Civetta
Numeroventi, Florence
Following the first iteration of their nomadic art and design residency in 2020 – Transhumances I in Le Sauvan, in the southwest of France – Galerie Philia continued its journey, heading this time to Florence, at Numeroventi, Palazzo Galli Tassi, where emerging designers settled down in July.
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The project was named after ‘transhumances,’ a form of migration based on seasonal movement. The latter could be observed in bees, among others, who act as pollinators when moving between plants and fertilizing different species, vitally creating fruit and seeds. This very concept, in the early days of the pandemic, inspired Galerie Philia’s founders, who sought solutions to bring artists together in a distanced world, closer to nature and in a way conducive to creation and ideas. The answer was Transhumances, a residency where invited designers explored and experimented with natural, locally sourced materials, immediately followed by an exhibition in the same place, village, or city. The initiative aimed to cut down on long-distance transportations and heavy logistics, thus reducing carbon footprint, and ultimately invited the local community to discover the work of emerging and established designers.
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The first installment of the residency, Transhumances I, took place last summer in Le Sauvan, a secluded village in the southwest of France, followed by an exhibition at the neighboring Château de Barjac. There, collaborating in isolation, a group of international artists pursued a common goal: that of artistic excellence and conviviality, while celebrating nature and drawing from the resources available in the region – oak, boxwood, limestone, wheat, and cherry wood. The project was documented in a film available online.
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The project was named after ‘transhumances,’ a form of migration based on seasonal movement. The latter could be observed in bees, among others, who act as pollinators when moving between plants and fertilizing different species, vitally creating fruit and seeds. This very concept, in the early days of the pandemic, inspired Galerie Philia’s founders, who sought solutions to bring artists together in a distanced world, closer to nature and in a way conducive to creation and ideas. The answer was Transhumances, a residency where invited designers explored and experimented with natural, locally sourced materials, immediately followed by an exhibition in the same place, village, or city. The initiative aimed to cut down on long-distance transportations and heavy logistics, thus reducing carbon footprint, and ultimately invited the local community to discover the work of emerging and established designers.
The first installment of the residency, Transhumances I, took place last summer in Le Sauvan, a secluded village in the southwest of France, followed by an exhibition at the neighboring Château de Barjac. There, collaborating in isolation, a group of international artists pursued a common goal: that of artistic excellence and conviviality, while celebrating nature and drawing from the resources available in the region – oak, boxwood, limestone, wheat, and cherry wood. The project was documented in a film available online.
In the aftermath of this unprecedented year, Transhumances II turned to the Renaissance era, to the notion of rebirth following the Dark Ages and the artistic flourishing that ensued, drawing here an interesting parallel between the isolation and hardship experienced during the pandemic and the cultural awakening that subsequently emerged. This theme was reflected in the chosen location of this year’s residency and exhibition at Numeroventi, in the heart of Florence.
Eight artists from France, Canada, Germany, and The Netherlands were invited to take part in Transhumances II: Cédric Breisacher, Isac Elam Kaid, Sylvia Eustache Rools, Jérôme Pereira, Frédéric Saulou, Flora Temnouche, Elisa Uberti, and Willem van Hooff. They each experimented with the creative techniques used during the Renaissance, for instance with natural dyes, when extracting color pigments from flowers and other organic materials, sourced locally in Tuscany. Vibrant colors are a recurrent feature in their work, and the techniques of knife-painting and tempera, involving mixing egg yolk with ground color pigments to form an emulsion thinned with water, were also explored. Scagliola, a plaster technique that fully flourished in the final century of the Renaissance, was another process residents investigated; it was used as a substitute for marble, made from selenite, glue, and natural pigments, imitating the more expensive stone. Other locally sourced materials included clay, Impruneta terracotta, Sienna pigments, silk, Paesine, marble, and earth. For this residency, Florence, with its rich history and endless natural resources, offered a wealth of creative possibilities and perspectives.
The works that emerged from this experience were unveiled in October.
