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« vin » is an exhibition presenting works by delphine reist et sylvie rodiguez around the theme of wine. both artists will address this theme in different ways, confronting their different artistic approaches.

delphine reist’s installations are often based on physical intervention, modifying everyday objects or substances with the use of motors or electronic circuits, playing upon certain of their aspects such as smell, sound, mechanism or color. this removes the objects from their functional purpose and replaces them in the field of the absurd. sylvie rodriguez’ work, by contrast, uses a narrative mode. her texts, read by actors, are illustrated by photographs, slides and drawings. the different subjects she works with are often inspired by encounters, anecdotes or news items.

in this first joint exhibition, the two artists will confront their approaches. d. reist’s mechanical installations will lend their smell, sound and rhythm to s. rodriguez’ narrative work.

delphine reist’s first installation shows a fountain of wine trickling down the gallery’s window by means of a pump. her fountain features the bottles of wine from the exhibition opening. the artist has already presented this work twice, adapting it each time to its specific environment, thus giving the piece a new aspect each time (geneva contemporary art center 2003 and lyon biennale 2005).

in the same room, echoing the fountain’s physicality, sylvie rodriguez will show her installation « bar a casa », made up by a series of slides as well as several photographs illustrating a text read by an actor. the text is the interior monologue of an old winegrower who lives recluse in his cellar. he has suffered surgery of the trachea and is since no longer able to speak. the hole through which he breathes is also how he drinks, allowing him to pour liquids right back into his glass. this image can be seen as a kind of fountain mirroring the one by d. reist. the strong smell of wine coming from the fountain lends its presence to the wine cellar occupied by this somber character. seen from outside the gallery, through the window, s. rodriguez’ slides will be blurred from the wine trickling down the glass pane.

in the adjoining room, d. reist will present her second piece, in which basins empty themselves into one another by means of a small pump powered by the motors of several drills. the transferring of the liquid from one container to another can be seen as referring to the fabrication of wine, to the new method as well as the old, described by s. rodriguez in her installation « bar à casa ».

in the hallway, s. rodriguez will also present a series of drawings, « célébration », illustrating short narrative texts. her india ink and colored pencil drawings represent scenes of excessive celebration in which joy starts overflowing. the texts are the obsessive monologues of characters wishing to celebrate everything.