The exhibition establishes a dialogue between three very different artistic practices which, like the rhizomes planted in the soil brought to the centre of the main exhibition hall, come together and develop. Jonathan Delachaux's pictorial works feature Vassili, one of the painter's three imaginary characters who have been haunting his canvases for almost 16 years. This plastiline figure, which the artist has evolved over time, takes on the appearance of a young man in his thirties. In this new, somewhat saucy series, Vassili has invited her puppet friends for a junk food buffet; crisis oblige. The series of paintings presented exclusively for the exhibition further confirms Delachaux's talent as a narrator. This banquet opens a new chapter in a story that began in 1996 and which continues to evolve in close connection with the biography and current events of its creator.
For the exhibition, Marcel Meury from Zurich has come to transform the park on the Place du Cirque. Where the earth was, a sign indicates the GPS coordinates of the gallery, where Jerusalem artichokes grow on a mound. Further on, in the manner of a diptych, two identical palettes are hung on a wall, on which a large green square has been painted. The work oscillates between ready-made and monochrome, while defining its own aesthetic. At the entrance to the space, his work Gum is shown by an imposing wall of twelve television sets that broadcast a looped, close-up view of a mouth frantically chewing an unbearable amount of chewing gum.
The third guest, the Franco-Swiss artist Cyril Vandenbeusch presents a photographic work. Known for his sensory experiences linking visual art to cooking, the artist has created for the exhibition a series of works that reflects on the relationship between food, the way it is produced and its provenance. From supermarkets to small regional producers, Vandenbeusch is in perpetual search of culinary products that are likely to intrigue, question and surprise the viewer. After staging them beforehand, the artist photographs the food. The result is a series of photographs sometimes with a touch of humour, but above all a consideration of death and frenetic consumption. The relationship between their very classical still-life aesthetics and the contemporaneity of the products depicted are not lacking in fascination. His formal technique is also intriguing and surprising. Going back to the origins of photography, the artist uses alternative printing techniques. Like a chemist he manipulates silver nitrate, iron citrate or acetic acid and manages to give a unique aspect to the photographic multiple.