Durham

Jamie Durham

Containment

A core in several layers where the geological course is disrupted but where the asphalt drowns out the material productions of mankind.

Artist Bio

In the 1970s and 1980s, Jimmie Durham’s work developed directly from his political commitments to the Indian cause and the recognition of civil rights. His use of raw materials (granite, bone) and essential forms, possible evocations of animal totems, and street actions place his work in opposition to dominant language and affirm a quest for identity. Since the 1990s, his relocation to Europe coincided with a broadening of his subjects regarding the production of art, objects, tools, and value, but beyond that, to the interactions between humans and nature.

ruins, waste, technofossils

human, agency, extinction

Edifices

Baxter&

Iain Baxter&

Project for a Monument to the Anthropocene

The famous “&” that Iain Baxter& uses in many of his works is central to his monument proposal. Through the form of a labyrinth or a double-sided “&,” Iain Baxter& places humans in a maze or before a pivot. In his propositions, the articulation between man and earth is constantly replayed, in every space and at every moment.

Artist Bio

In 2005, Iain Baxter& officially added an ampersand (the “&”) to his surname, thereby incorporating the interconnected character of his work, which is focused on interaction and articulation, into his own name. As early as 1966, he founded the company N.E. Thing Co to carry out his artistic endeavors, with the corporate objective of developing “sensitive information.” With a touch of humor, he adopts an entrepreneurial and administrative tone, pushing it to a certain absurdity. While his work is rooted in conceptual art, of which he is a pioneer, it cannot be reduced to mere language games, as it directly addresses issues related to the representation of the world, technology, and the relationships between nature and culture.

Themes: hope, care, commoning

Category: Edifices

Dion

Mark Dion

Project for a Monument to the Anthropocene

A core in several layers where the geological course is disrupted but where the asphalt drowns out the material productions of mankind.

Artist Bio

Mark Dion, born in 1961 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, is an American contemporary artist renowned for his interdisciplinary approach, merging sculpture, installation, and environmentalism. His work delves into the relationships between humanity, nature, and scientific inquiry. Dion’s installations challenge viewers to reconsider their connection with the environment, often incorporating found objects, scientific specimens, and historical artifacts. Notable among his projects is “Neukom Vivarium,” a living sculpture at the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle, Washington, which prompts reflection on ecology and conservation. Through exhibitions worldwide, Dion continues to provoke discourse on environmental issues and humanity’s impact on the natural world.

ruins, waste, technofossils

human, agency, extinction

Edifices

Chambaud

Etienne Chambaud

Project for a Monument to the Anthropocene

“Build a geothermal plant on the rock of Gibraltar to induce a permanent human feverish temperature on its summit (to vary between 39oC and 41oC. Temperature in excess to said feverish temperature shall be evacuated in the air (steam). No human use of said excess shall be allowed.”

Artist Bio


Étienne Chambaud, born in 1980 in Mulhouse, France, studied at Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL), Villa Arson in Nice, and Ecole nationale des Beaux-Arts (ENBA) in Lyon. In 2022, he earned a PhD from the SACRe program of PSL University, Ecole Normale Supérieure, and Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris. Working and residing in Paris, Chambaud’s multidisciplinary practice challenges conventional categories imposed on experiences, objects, and disciplines. His works, ranging from individual pieces to installations and exhibitions, destabilize notions of art’s definition, the artist’s conceptualization and production process, and the form and history of exhibitions. Through his beautiful and complex creations, Chambaud offers a transformative experience, altering viewers’ perceptions and understanding. He has participated in residency programs such as EMPAC in Troy, NY (2017), and his solo exhibitions include “Lâme” at LaM – Lille Métropole Musée d’art moderne, d’art contemporain et d’art brut, Villeneuve-d’Ascq (2022), “Negative Knots” at La Kunsthalle Mulhouse, Mulhouse (2018), and “Color Suite” at Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2009).

Themes: atmosphere, climate, oceans

Category: Edifices