An exhibition of unpublished sketches by François Delaroziere
Artistic director of the street theatre company La Machine in Nantes and of the Halle de La Machine in Toulouse, François Delaroziere presents here an exhibition of his sketches at the origin of the show machines. Drawing is the language of François Delaroziere. Nature is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the artist. Its beauty, its incredible diversity and the complexity of its forms are all subjects that he likes to observe and study. A true polymath, François Delaroziere’s ability to draw analogies between nature, drawing and mechanics inevitably brings to mind the plethora and eclectic work of Leonardo da Vinci. In the exhibition “Dans les cartons”, the visitor discovers eight major themes that run through the artist’s work, from the animal and vegetable kingdom to the fairground arts and architecture.
“My drawing exists for itself, outside of spectacular production. It is a sensitive language.
But it is also a precise trace that allows those who will have to build to appropriate a proposal, the starting point for their work. In my drawings, I anticipate the realisation of the machines I dream of, both in terms of their dimensions, which are often large, and their movement. ”
François Delaroziere
Croquis François Delaroziere
Drawing and painting machines
Movement is at the heart of the artistic approach of the artist and the company La Machine and is present from the original drawing. In imagining this exhibition, François Delaroziere wished to integrate painting machines in order to put the visitor in motion by integrating him into the creative process. Five new machines will thus join the mechanical bestiary of the Halle de La Machine. Following a protocol and rules of play as precise as they are complex, visitors will be able to sit down in front of the painting machine, the catapult, the pointillist, the machine for drawing with the wind and the calligraphic machine. Once the dice have been thrown to determine the time of execution, the speed, the colour, the choice of tool or the time of pose, each person will be able to create a work of art, collective or individual, but in any case, unique. Come and unleash your inner artist!
Exhibition from 4 February
Open Tuesday to Sunday – 10 am to 6 pm
Special Torchlight Night: Saturday 18 February – 6 pm to 10 pm
Patrick Tresset’s portrait robots
Patrick Tresset is a Brussels-based artist whose work explores human traits and aspects of the human experience. His works reflect recurring themes such as the passage of time, childhood, conformity, obsession, nervousness and the need to tell stories and leave marks. He is best known for his performative installations using robotic agents as stylized actors who leave marks, as well as his exploration of drawing practice using computer systems and robots.
“Human Study #1” is an installation in which three drawing robots create drawings of human models for 20-30 minutes. Each robot is equipped with an arm and motorised webcams which observe the subject of the drawing in progress and then draw the ‘analysed’ subject. The sound produced by the robots’ motors creates an improvised soundtrack. While the robots perform their artwork, the human models remain passive. The drawings made by the robots are gradually exposed to create a real portrait gallery.
Robot Portraitists – 17 February to 31 March
