NES - Le caprice des temps - XL

The Caprice of Time

12x12x105 cm
2021
Varnished
Unique work signed on the base by NES, French female sculptor working in metal
Sculpture in steel and aluminum for rivets
Metal sculpture technique, welding and riveting
Varnished
Delivered with invoice and certificate of authenticity
Excellent condition
Weight of the sculpture: 4700 grams
Delivered in Colissimo with tracking and insured

Background

Nes is a Bordeaux-based artist living in the Médoc. She was born in 1979. A metal designer, she creates sculptures and furniture from recovered metal pieces. Her work has a strong presence, a definite identity drawing from a baroque universe and heavily inspired by punk iconography.
From an early age, this young woman turned toward artistic creation. It was in 2003, while finishing her university studies with a degree in Applied Foreign Languages, that she discovered metalworking during a trip to Cuba. This discovery, felt as a true revelation, led her to redirect her studies. She completed a qualifying metalworking training at IFIP in 2004 and then a 2006 specialization as an industrial and space-oriented welding technician. While continuing to explore contemporary artistic creation autonomously, she completed her training by becoming a qualified pyrotechnician in 2008.
Her works quickly caught the art world’s attention and established a strong singularity, earning several articles in the press (see press kit). In 2007 she won a Défi-Jeunes, a program implemented by the Ministry of Youth. For her, it was a real catalyst propelling her toward professionalism. From then on, she is frequently commissioned at regional, national, and international levels. In 2009 she represented France at the International Francophone Games competition and exhibited at the UNESCO Palace in Beirut. In 2010 she was invited to UNESCO in Paris where she presented her work in a solo exhibition. As a national laureate of the Envie d’Agir program, she received the 2nd prize in cultural creation awarded by the High Commissioner for Youth. At the regional level in Aquitaine and Charente, she received the 2nd prize for art design from Rotary District 1690.
Drouot appraisal during the public auction “Young Contemporary Creation” (March 22, 2014, Hôtel Drouot, Paris).

Artistic approach

“At age 5, I visited with my parents the torture museum under the Inquisition in Santillana del Mar. The ability of humans to make others suffer horrified and fascinated me at the same time. I was frightened by the ingenuity with which humans developed such monstrosity. My work transcends this monstrosity with an appearance of gentleness that conceals the violence humanity can harbor. I want to show the dark side of humanity, the human experience of suffering, the capacity of man to hide the horror he buries deep inside himself, to highlight the passage from shadow to light.”
By releasing her gesture, Nes unveils through her sculptures a baroque and poetic universe. She draws on the force of metal to bring the viewer into her world of arabesques, curves, and chains. Power in the material, fragility in the airy forms emerging from a complex imagination. From darkness to light, from chain to steel lace…
A baroque universe, another more playful one, both converge toward the same objective: to give a soul back to forgotten industrial elements. Playing with appearances, shadows, light, and contrasts, treating hostile materials until they are artistically guided toward gentleness and lightness. Her artistic signature, expressed through the use of chainsaw chains, earned her the press nickname “the iron lace-maker.” Ambivalence between form and matter, subtlety of the plastic language, subversion of materials.
“The questions that drive me: how to exercise discernment and live in society while considering that everyone may have a share of monstrosity within them? What are the limits of humanity’s extreme behaviors? How to detach from daily reality, from the illusions of our perception to ease this suffering, to stop hiding this dark part of ourselves? How to free oneself from prejudices and defy appearances? How to live with this darker side of the soul? Meditate, accept, deny, rebel, give up?”

Some exhibitions

Exhibition “Resonances” for the 500th anniversary of Sainte-Chapelle and artist residency (09/09-06/11/21; residency: 21-25/09/21, Le Trampoline, Vic-le-Comte (63))
Exhibition and selection at the “3rd International Sculpture Competition” of the Biennale Europea d’Arte Fabbrile di Stia (02/09-05/09/21, Stia, Italy)
International symposium “Metal sympozium” and exhibition on the “Metal Trail” (11/06/18-15/06/18, Mlada Boleslav, Bohemian Central, Czech Republic)
Exhibition during the SNBA 2018 Fine Arts Fair (13/12-16/12/18, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris)
Exhibition “Arts du feu” at the H.R GIGER Museum (17/10-23/10/15, Gruyères, Switzerland)
Exhibition Capa Esculturas gallery (12/09-21/10/2014, Madrid, Spain)
Exhibition “Pas à pas” (09/05-09/06/14, Louveigné, Belgium)
Exhibition at the “Feria Internacional del Arte de Granada” (07/05-12/05/12, Churriana de la Vega, Granada, Spain)
Exhibition at “FIARTE 2012” (08/04-20/04/12, Churriana de la Vega, Granada, Spain)
Exhibition at the “Salón Internacional de Mujeres Artistas” (06/03-22/03/12, Maracena, Granada, Spain)
Permanent display of the sculpture “Carpe Diem”: private collection of the Riviera Hotel & Beach Lounge (from 14/05/11, Corniche El Manara, P.O.Box: 11-4021 Riad El Solh 1107 2150, Beirut, Lebanon)
Exhibition of fresh works created during the art symposium “Riviera Fusion” (12/05-30/06/11, Riviera Hotel & Beach Lounge, Corniche El Manara, Beirut, Lebanon)
Exhibition and selection for the international Francophone Games competition. Residency. School intervention in Saïda. (27/09/09-06/10/09, UNESCO Palace Beirut, Lebanon)
Permanent display of the sculpture “Pulsations and Convergences”: private collection of the Grand Lycée Franco-Libanais (from 06/10/09, Beirut, Lebanon)

Public commissions / Public collections

Public commission from the Lacanau town hall: monumental sculpture “Fòrga” created in homage to the heritage site “La Forge” - Permanent display in front of the town hall (July 24, Lacanau, 33)
Commission from the Interregional Directorate for Juvenile Judicial Protection (DIRPJJ) – South-West -(Trophies for the “Parcours du goût” -(13.5x17x35 cm, 11.5x16x29.5 cm, 11.5x14.5x26.5 cm) (July 2023))
Acquisition of the sculpture “La Force d’âme” by the town hall of Vic-le-Comte and the Departmental Council of Puy-de-Dôme (Le Trampoline, place de l’Olme, Vic-le-Comte (63)) (11/13/21)
Acquisition of the sculpture “Thétis” by the Departmental Council of Charente-Maritime (Atrium of the Maison de la Charente, La Rochelle (17)) (08/20/18)
Acquisition of the sculpture “The Dark Tower” by the town hall of Aiguillon (47) (12/10/16)
Acquisition of the sculpture “Les Trois Portes” by the Beychac et Cailleau Media Library/Art Library (10/05/16)
Public commission: Soulac-sur-Mer town hall: sculpture created during the urban residency and public performance “Urban Welding Art” (05/03-12/05/13, Place de la Basilique, Soulac-sur-Mer)
Public commission of UEAJ 33: practical workshop with youths from Youth Judicial Protection, aimed at social and professional integration (2013, UEAJ 33, Bordeaux)
Public commission of the Gironde General Council. Trophies “Mission Agenda 21” (15/10/2012, Gironde General Council, Bordeaux)
Public commission UEAJ 33: creation of panels for the restaurant training “Le P’tit Creux.” Practical workshop with youths from Youth Judicial Protection, aimed at social and professional integration (May 2012 to June 2012; various sessions in Listrac-Médoc)
Public commission of the Soulac-sur-Mer town hall: creation of a sculpture for the 20th anniversary of twinning with Castrillo de Murcia (04/2012)
Creation of a monumental mission cross (02/2012, Cussac-Médoc town hall)
Public commission: creation of a monumental sculpture for the entrance of a media library (Inauguration 10/09/11, Beychac et Cailleau)
Creation of trophies for the Michelet Challenge. Practical workshop with youths from Youth Judicial Protection, aimed at social and professional integration. (2010/2011, UEAJ 33)
Creation of sculptures for school parking lots. Project involving children. (2009, Avensan town hall, 33)