by Alexandre Erre, New Caledonia, France 2019, 7'
Presented at Lo schermo dell'arte 2021 in occasion of the exhibition Thinking Beyond – Moving Images for a Post-Pandemic WorldThe film is part of VISIO – European Programme on Artists’ Moving Images - 10th edition
The feeling of nostalgia follows the artist’s ritual of ablution in the pristine waters of a river in his home country in New Caledonia. The repetitive movements slowly clean the layers of laterite deposited over the skin. This performative action addresses the serious issue of pollution of rivers and lagoons of New Caledonia caused by the nickel mining industry. But it’s also an intimate reference to the act of personal purification, a delicate and liberating gesture of letting go what hides one's own identity revealing our true nature. The soundtrack comes from Kaneto ShindĹŤ's film The Naked Island.
Alexandre Erre (1990) was born in NoumeĚa and lives and works between France and Kanaky (New Caledonia). His artistic approach is centered on his experience as a queer person coming from Melanesia, and on the celebration of the cultures and communities of Oceania. It explores more broadly issues related to memory, exoticization and insularity. In his projects, he seeks to open spaces for healing and pleasure, in response to the violence that populates our daily lives and our imagination. Erre’s works has been presented in exhibitions and film festival such as: Arte Nova 100 (青年艺术100), Beijing; Tales from the seashore, Hong-Ti Art Center, Busan, Korea; Arthaus Movie Theater, 41st Havana Film Festival, Cuba; 31e Festival – Les Instants Vidéo, Videodrome 2, Marseille.
alexandre-erre.com