NES - L'Antre

The Den

30.5x17x121 cm

2014

Lacquered

Unique artwork signed on the base by NES, French artist sculptor working in metal
Steel sculpture
Metalworking technique, welding
Lacquered
Delivered with invoice and certificate of authenticity
Excellent condition
Weight of the sculpture: 4700 grams
Shipped via Colissimo with tracking and insurance

Profile

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 and a definite identity drawn from a baroque universe and heavily inspired by punk iconography.
Early on this young woman turned to artistic creation. It was in 2003, while finishing her studies with a degree in Applied Foreign Languages, that during a trip to Cuba she discovered metalworking. This discovery, which she perceived as a true revelation, led her to redirect her studies. She underwent a qualifying training in metallurgy at IFIP in 2004, then specialization in 2006 as an industrial and space-oriented welding technician. While continuing to explore contemporary artistic creation self-tily, 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 true catalyst propelling her toward professionalism. Since then, she has been frequently solicited at regional, national, and international levels. In 2009 she represented France in the International Competition of the Jeux de la Francophonie, exhibiting at the UNESCO Palace in Beirut. In 2010, she was invited to UNESCO in Paris where she presented her work in a solo show. 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 listing during the public auction “Young Contemporary Creation” (March 22, 2014, Hôtel Drouot, Paris).

Artistic approach

“At the age of 5, I visited with my parents the torture museum under the Inquisition in Santillana del Mar. The human capacity to make others suffer horrified and fascinated me at the same time. I was frightened by the ingenuity with which man has shown in developing so much monstrosity. My work transcends this monstrosity by a certain douceur that hides the violence humanity can harbor. I want to show the dark side of humanity, the human experience of suffering, the ability of man to conceal the horror he hides deep inside, in order to highlight the passage from shadow to light.”
By freeing her gesture, Nes reveals through her sculptures a baroque and poetic universe. She taps into the strength of metal to draw the spectator into her world of arabesques, curves, and chains. Power in the material, fragility in the airy shapes 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 softness and lightness. Her artistic signature, expressed through the use of chainsaw chains, earned her the media nickname the “iron lace-maker.” Ambivalence between form and matter, subtlety of plastic language, misappropriation of materials.
“The questions that drive me: how to exercise discernment and live in society while considering that each person may have a part of monstrosity in 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 prejudice and defy appearances? How to live with this darker side of the soul? Meditate, accept, deny, rebel, renounce?”

Selected 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, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic)
Exhibition during the SNBA 2018 Beaux-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 installation 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 new 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 Jeux de la Francophonie competition. Residency. Intervention in a school in Sidon. (27/09/09-06/10/09, UNESCO Palace Beirut, Lebanon)
Permanent installation of the sculpture “Pulsations et Convergences”: private collection of the Grand Lycée Franco-Libanese (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 (07/24, Lacanau (33))
Commission from the Interregional Directorate for Judicial Protection of Youth (DIRPJJ) – Southwest (Trophies for “Parcours du goût” - (13.5x17x35 cm-11.5x16x29.5 cm-11.5x14.5x26.5 cm) -(07/23))
Acquisition of the sculpture “La Force d'âme” by the Vic-le-Comte town hall 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 youth from the Judicial Protection of Youth, 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 of UEAJ 33: creation of panels for the restaurant training “Le P’tit Creux.” Practical workshop with youth from the Judicial Protection of Youth, aimed at social and professional insertion (05-10/11/05/12; 14-15/16/05/12; 05-06-07-08/06/12; 11-12-13-14-15-18-19/06/12, Listrac-Médoc workshop)
Public commission: Soulac-sur-Mer town hall: creation of a monumental mission cross (02/2012, Cussac-Médoc town hall (33))
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 youth from the Judicial Protection of Youth, aimed at social and professional insertion. (2010/2011, UEAJ 33)
Creation of sculptures for the school parking lot. Project carried out with the participation of children. (2009, Avensan town hall (33))