Contribution to the « Constellation » project from the A.A.B., Atelier d’Artistes de Belleville,to the Parisian "Nuit Blanche" on the 3rd October 2015.

When I registered by the AAB I wanted to break the circle of my loneliness, but I had no experience of an artistic association nor the practice of collaborating of other artists. For these reasons I had no idea of how things might evolve. I concentrated my action for a commission whose objective is to develop the use of the association ‘s gallery, an open space of about 70 square Meters. So when the idea of producing an event for the Parisian "Nuits Blanches 2015" by Annie Barel with Monique Mathey, two other members who had managed a similar production in 2014, I back up the project. In May we were still doubting about the number of people who would contributors so I decided to produce something for the event that is not a photography. But I am not a graphic engineer nor a painter, so I had to find something original.

 This year the initial thematic was Constellation, but as France will receive the major U.N.O. conference on climate in December it was decided to add that the productions should be connected with the problems related and discussed by COP 21.

Having studied slowly that question I found that there was something odd to try to associate the two things. During the summer a new planet called U452 might be able to become a new earth for human life but it is placed very far from us. So what the point to try to go there? When you consider the amount of energy (and money) that is used and spent to leave earth for space, undoubtedly the ecological consequences are negative. So to reinforce this approach I imagined a time when space would be integrated as an extension of our earth with regular transport networks. As a result to organize the movements in this space of common people you need signs to inform and provide security to the travellers along these roads. So, I imagined signs I would see around me in space when I would be driving my spaceship.

That is how the idea of designing the panels occurred. Then I decided to produce several in different sizes in order to be spread around the space among the « constellations » of the other artists. My productions where in colour and not only white because I wanted to provide coloured elements that would animate the eye of the viewer, and bring him to make a funny and surprising travel from sign to sign. So this was my idea.

The event finally took place and 28 artists contributed to provide an installation. I went there to see the final production the result was very far from what I had in mind.

-     The vast majority of the « constellation »presented had no relation at all with the problem of COP 21-     One artist was presenting a much bigger project that was occupying alone one window,

-     From the seven signs I had offered only one could be correctly read in the middle of the installation, three were placed in the background and needed concentration to be seen

-     My biggest sign was installed outside where there was no blacklight

 But spending time on the site I discovered that this had no importance at all because the public had completed different expectations: it just wanted to have the feeling of seeing something nice and take a photo with a smart phone. They looked at the Constellations just as if it was a shop window from a store in Christmas. With the behaviour of the crowd they had no time to think at all.

 At about nine pm when night was present an artist came dressed like a lighted fairy, in a space of five seconds all the eyes and phones where directed toward him and no one looked at the installation for 15 minutes at least any more.

This is very interesting because our society imagines that communication would work just by producing information. In fact, this model does not work because no one communicate towards the same direction and with the same goals. Artists, private and public organizers and the public are independent components of the system. If you introduce too much control it won't work, artists will not contribute for instance. In our society it is important to communicate, to be referenced in major events to exist. That's all the rest is mere speculation and under no control.

For me this is a very positive experience and I will apply the lessons in my future works.

At least there is "Photoshop" that allows to present what I had imagined.  That is the purpose of the present post.