forêt, tentative, Bastide du Roy, Antibes

Darmo is pleased to present "forêt, tentative," a selection of works produced by artist aurèce vettier during an exclusive one-month artistic residency at La Bastide du Roy in Antibes.

Known for his innovative approach that fuses art and technology, aurèce vettier has taken advantage of his residency to drastically change the scale of his work.

The bronze sculptures of his impossible plants (Potential Herbariums series) have reached new heights and taken on new forms, creating a fragile, impossible, poetic and monumental nature. The details of these bronzes are pushed to the limit, with the trees and branches mostly gilded and the leaves patinated in a unique immaculate white created by the artist. A smaller body of sculptures stands out for its charred appearance, quasi-fossilised by a striking black patina.

The great innovation lies in the creation of unique bronze trees almost three meters high, which will be deployed in the historic gardens of the Bastide du Roy like anomalies heralding the replacement of traditional vegetation.

The production process involves several stages. The shapes are generated by artificial intelligence (GAN model), then modelled in 3D. After collecting the branches corresponding to the 3D model in the forest, aurèce vettier assembles the wooden model and casts it in bronze using the little-used ‘lost wood’ technique. The leaves are also generated by AI, printed in 3D, shaped and cast in bronze using a jewellery technique, then placed on the tree.

In addition to his plastic works, aurèce vettier has extended his practice by creating a sound piece. This new auditry reading, produced in collaboration with Studio Ingmar, is made possible by the support of Devialet, a partner in the residency. His new creations symbolise the entry into the forest, as the starting point for an upcoming, enveloping exhibition: "la traversée de la forêt".

The exhibition at La Bastide du Roy also traces the enveloping world of aurèce vettier, bringing together oil paintings, previously unpublished simili-gravures from the collaboration with artist Vera Molnár, and neon lights.

A sound installation as also been created by the artist in collaboration with Studio Ingmar. The installation was made possible thanks to the support of Devialet, as sound partner of the exhibition.

Although not a retrospective, the exhibition will offer a broader view of the studio’s practice.