'"One Hundred and Forty-Six" "Thirsty"
In "One Hundred and Forty-Six", Valentine Jolibois stages a mural of 2m by 3.20m, composed of 146 different elements in a patchwork resemblance she calls "tiles". The mural is shown next to "Thirsty", a platform that serves both as a pedestal as well as a sculpture itself. The artist has previously explored the relationships of her painting, graphic and sculptural works with architecture and the space where they are presented. This installation can be read as a continuation of this search in which the details and the fragmentary are constant in the production of mosaic narratives made of painterly and soft materials. For instance, in previous displays like Pretend it’s a Bathroom, the idea of customizing a house environment became the trigger for producing staged artworks. The puzzle-like pieces respond to the interest in shaping and reshaping through objects a self-portrait. This subjective approach is intertwined with formal questions in response to the context of the pieces. The frame and what is framed are constantly confused and transformed into a complex installation that display simultaneously parallel vignettes with a multiplicity of narratives. This ambiguity underlines the potential for an incomplete house, a self-portrait that is never fulfilled.
- Martín La Roche Contreras
