interviewed by Catharine Lumby
An “irresistible attraction” exists in certain spaces for Catherine Arthus-Bertrand, a contemporary French curator.
Between September and October she curated three exhibitions of young European artists at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art in Melbourne, Artspace in Sydney, and the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane. The participating artists were - Kate Blaker, Jacqueline Dauriac, Dominique G Foerster, Raul Marek, Ernest T, Christos Tzivelos, Felice Varini, Michel Verjux and Jean-Luc Vilmouth. The pieces they presented were made in and for the spaces they occupied.
CATHARINE LUMBY When did you curate your first exhibition?
CATHERINE ARTHUS-BERTRAND It was in Paris in 1985. I was quite naive at the time. I was friendly with a group of artists who didn't have a gallery at the time and they more or less pushed me into doing an exhibition. I didn't have the money or space but I knew someone who had a very beautiful vacant apartment which was right in front of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. I had to repaint the whole place. I think the exhibition came at an opportune time.
CATHARINE LUMBY You've said before that you invite artists to make a work for the place not the space. What do you mean exactly?
CATHERINE ARTHUS-BERTRAND Well, it really depends on the work of the artist. Felice Varini, for example, works very much with the architecture of the space - at Artspace he worked with the placement of the door and the height of the rooms. But while Christos Tzivelos will take the architecture into account his work can also stand alone.
CATHARINE LUMBY Do you consider the works installations?
CATHERINE ARTHUS-BERTRAND I hate that word. All the... The rest of this article is available to subscribers of Eyeline
Felice Varini, Installation, Artspace, Sydney, 1988. Photo: Fenn Hinchliffe.
