 Peinture du corps, Kalipo Milikut 1 (d'apres J. Hurault) 2007 Gold ink on black paper, 29.7 x 21 cm Marie Velardi Wanta Wayana (future wayana) ARQUEBUSE is proud to present a new project by Geneva-based artist Marie Velardi, as a response to a recent trip to French Guyana to meet the Wayana, an Amazonian tribe whose survival is seriously endangered as an ecological consequence of the recent illegal gold trade there. French Guyana, an area of South America under French rulership, is currently suffering from a dramatic increase in gold-extraction. Areas are deforested, and high pressure water pumps turn the gravel into a slurry which is then mixed with mercury to bind with the gold deposits in the soil. After the gold is retrieved the remaining mud is poured into the river or forest and the mercury accumulates in the food chain, poisoning the fish which are the staple diet of the Wayana. The starting point for the "Wanta Wayana" project (meaning "Future Wayana" in the Wayan language) was a meeting, initiated by Frédéric Favre, between Velardi and the Swiss film-maker Daniel Schweizer, director of acclaimed documentaries investigating skinheads, hate and racism: "Skinhead Attitude" and "White Terror". Schweizer invited Velardi to accompany him and Favre on a trip to visit the Wayana, keen to open up debate on the situation there by embracing the broader public reach possible with artistic production reflecting on such issues. Velardi's work is bound up with the concept of "a future", and the alternative possibilities for our world - both utopian and dystopian. In "Future Perfect, 21st Century" from 2005-2006, Velardi presented a projected history for the 21st Century using projections for the future found in film, books and television. In 2005 Velardi collaborated on the project APEX, Agence de Prospective Expérimentale with Michael Hofer, Angela Marzullo and Christian Bili. In this office Velardi conducted interviews with the visitors, documenting and archiving the various projections for the future that the participants each envisaged. More recently, Velardi has produced the "Atlas of Lost Islands" and "Extinct", projects with drawings of islands projected to be submerged by the rising sea levels by 2107, and black ink drawings of the shadows of animal species now extinct. "Wanta Wayana" will continue these concerns. Gold ink drawings, and a sound installation based on recordings made while spending time with the Wayana tribe, will reflect on the modern developments in tribal life and future possibilites as a tribe, given the unfolding ecological and human tragedy that is threatening their continued existence. This project will be exhibited simultaneously in different formats in "La Cabine", and the Centre PasquART in Bienne as part of the group exhibition "Unter 30 V - Jeune Art Suisse" opening on 3rd November. Marie Velardi (b. 1977, CH) lives and works in Geneva. Recent solo exhibitions include Salle Crosnier, Palais de l'Athénée, Geneva (2007); "3 Utopian Scenarios for Geneva", attitudes, espace d'arts contemporains, Geneva (2006); "Scénario for 20006", Centre d'Edition Contemporaine, Geneva (2006). Group exhibitions include : "Art en plein air", Môtiers (2007); Swiss Art Awards, Basel (2007); "Multiples", Forde, Geneva (2007); "From Here to There", Galerie Analix Forever, Geneva (2004). The sound project "Wanta Wayana" was generously supported by the City of Geneva. Exhibition 8 November - 22 December 2007 Gallery hours Tues-Fri 2 - 7 pm, Sat 11 am - 5 pm, and by appointment ARQUEBUSE rue de l'Arquebuse 14 CH-1204 Genève Telephone +41(0)22 807 04 40 Fax +41(0)22 807 04 41 Email info@arquebusegalerie.com www.arquebusegalerie.com |
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