| Ironic, empty and artificial, the works of Valentin
Carron leave one baffled and perplexed. In a playful vein, the artist
flirts with ambiguity and proposes pieces that ride a fine line
between artisan works and the “ready made”.
Carron tends to appropriate the most unrelated elements associated
with his country of origin, or with our collective imaginary world,
sounding out both their initial meaning and re-proposing them in
a new and twisted key.
His latest piece, debuting this summer in Prague, presents for the
first time a musical work offering an amusing tongue-in-cheek tribute
to the popular song. In one of his emblematic moves, the artist
invited a well-known singer of his region to record a remake of
a popular hit of the 70’s, with the simple gimmick of repeating
the song over and over for the length of an entire CD. The experiment
places the singer in the role of a simple technician. Here, instead
of displaying his artistic qualities, he finds himself face-to-face
in a test against himself and the elements of his trade, in which,
in spite of himself, he is sunk. The voice thins and trembles, the
words file by void of meaning; the performer and his music are pushed
to the extremes of absurdity, and, eventually, to silence.
— Charlotte Mailler
Selected solo exhibitions: 2003: Alimentation Generale,
Luxembourg; 2002: Circuit, Lausanne; Kamm, Berlin; FAC, Sierre;
Francesca Pia, Ber; Fri-Art, Fribourg; 2001: Glassbox, Paris; MAMCO,
Geneve; 2000: Camion, Sierre; Forde, Geneva; Le studio/CAN, Neuchâtel.
Selected group exhibitions: 2003: Mursolaici, Centre
culturel suisse, Paris; C’est le moment, Pasquart, Bienne;
Fink Forward, Kunsthaus, Glarus; Kontext, Form, Trojaì Sesession,
Vienne; 2002: Énergies de résistance, Attitude, Geneva;
Kamm, Berlin; The golden week, Kodama, Osaka; 2001: Camo-Show, Wiesbaden;
Synthétiseur, Espace Fauriel, Saint-Etienne; Vraisemblablement,
Alimentation Générale, Luxembourg; Rock paper scissors,
Francesca Pia, Bern; Elac, Lausanne; 2000: La station fait main
basse, Galerie des Ponchettes, Nice; Prix fédéraux
des Beaux-Arts 2000, Fri-Art, Fribourg.
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