Josèfa Ntjam and LVMH Métiers d'Art : Une Cosmogonie d’Océans

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As I already explained in a November 2023 post, Josèfa Ntjam is a young artist I first came across when helping with preparations for Alternating Currents, the inaugural exhibition at Parallel Circuit, in Tehran. Her work was to be included in the exhibition, and I found myself translating the text of one of her videos (as it happens, later shown at FRAC Ile de France's 40th birthday exhibition, Gunaikeion, in Romainville), so it could be subtitled for Iran, and taking a train to her home town to pick up some works (cushions) for dispatch there. I've taken an interest in her work since then.

In 2023, Josèfa was selected to spend a year in residence with LVMH's Métiers d'Art program, the aim of which is to bring top-level artisans and young artists closer together. Josèfa spent her year with an organisation called the Jade Groupe, and, as the LVMH Métiers d'Art website explains, 'envisioned sculptures nearly two metres high, even though the company is specialized in small components and jewellery for major luxury houses. This challenge of scale was compounded by technical and production difficulties that prompted Jade technicians to rethink their tools, design and production processes, and range of materials, colours, and finishes… Josèfa Ntjam’s works in metal are produced in colours which were hitherto unthinkable for the artisans of Jade Groupe, acquired by LVMH Métiers d’Art in 2021.'

The residence led to Une Cosmogonie d’Océans, a 5-day exhibition of fascinating metal works in a disused building near the Bourse in Paris. I went along yesterday, the first day of spring both on the calendar and in reality - suddenly the blossom is out, Paris is warm and café terraces are packed - and indeed Noruz for my Persian friends.

Next step for Josèfa is 'Swell of Spæc(i)es', an exhibition, at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia & Palazzina Canonica, due to run in parallel to the Venice Biennale this year. This link is to an introduction to the upcoming Venice exhibition.

This link is to an explanatory text, in English, about Une Cosmogonie d’Océans, on the LVMH Métiers d’Art website.

And here are some of the photos I took at the exhibition.









Added in May 2024: Josèfa has, since her exhibition opened in Venice, been getting a lot of good press. Here's a link to an interview in Wallpaper.

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