12CONSTRUCTIVE DESTRUCTION

Every Act Of Creation Is First An Act Of Destruction

Projet réalisé : Individuellement

Niveau : Semestre 7 (Master 1 - Erasmus)

Année : 2021

One day, when I was only 9, my favorite playground was demolished and a media library was built instead. I was overwhelmed by this event, shocked to see this special place disappear. But then, after this painful event, I discovered with joy the new function of the place and its assets. Although this operation destroyed one of my hobbies, it was to the benefit of the creation of many new passions. Human beings, because of their history, see destruction as something revolting and frightening, this action being the synonym of tragedy, loss and mourning. If destruction lies in the action of causing so much damage to something that it no longer exists, then it seems impossible to build something with and from this process.

But could we change our minds about this phenomenon ? What if we considered destruction as a double-edged sword : at once destructive of one thing, but necessary for the creation of another. As Picasso said, «Every act of creation is first an act of destruction». The act of creating would then inevitably be linked to the act of destroying, destruction being an unavoidable step in the creative and constructive process.

This reflection is the basis of the exhibition «Constructive destruction». Presenting 23 artworks and everyday life objects, the exhibition is an invitation to a journey into the artistic and real world of destruction surrounding us today. Through the relationship between the whole and the part and through scenes associating different objects, the exhibition aims to confront us with destruction by changing our initial perception of it.

Description : Conception d’une exposition imaginaire sur le thème de la destruction créatrice, dans le cadre de cours d’art à Athènes

Plan of the exhibition -

Rooms :

#0 _ Change of perception

#1 _ Destruction tools

#2 _ Annihilation

#3 _ Put on hold

#4 _ Every act of creation is first an act of destruction #5 _ Destruction aesthetic #6 _ Participatory destruction

The first room presents the exhibition via an information board and contains a collection of destruction tools. This collection combines objects that literally depict destruction and more subtile objects, from everyday life.The aim of this set is to question the visitor about what destruction really is, and about the destruction that surrounds him in his daily life : what can a smartphone or a plastic bag destroy ?

#2

The second room is dedicated to destruction in its purest form. It shows artworks and regular objects representing destruction in its darker form. A destruction which is not bringing any good aspect.

#3 _ Put on hold

After having faced destruction at its darkest, the role of the third room is to put the destruction on pause, to observe the action more closely, and to take a step back from it, in order to realize what all these horrible phenomena generate.

#5

After the creepy atmosphere of the previous room, the fifth one is showing how can destruction create beautiful things, and how it can be very graphical and aesthetic.