Surtentures #8 (…although strength is hidden in the folds of the haptic mind)nundrum of freedom) - 2015

219 x 227.5 cm
Appliqué technique on textile, NFC tag

Surtentures #9 (…because where the mind wanders is the conundrum of freedom) - 2015

219 x 216.5 cm
Appliqué technique on textile, NFC tag

Emo De Medeiros

Born 1979, Paris, France

Lives and works in Cotonou, Benin, and in Paris, France

Emo de Medeiros studied at Ecole Normale Supérieure (Paris/Ulm), Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux- Arts (Paris), and at the Massachusetts College of Art (MassArt).

Emo de Medeiros' work is based on a single concept, which he calls contexture, which emphasizes transculturalness, interconnection, transformation, hybridization and the circulation of forms, myths and merchandises in a post- colonial, globalized and digitalized world, employing notions of origin, place and identity to question their context within our increasingly globalized culture.

His artworks always include a salient conceptual dimension, and are characterized by a participatory, serial and rhythmic approach, by a mix of traditional and technological materials and media, as well as the link between art, spirituality and transcendence. As an artist interested in transformation processes and non-linear narratives, Emo de Medeiros explores the shapes, patterns and edges of contemporary African creation, as well as how it is perceived both from inside and outside the continent. Emo de Medeiros works with a wide array of mediums, including sculpture, video, photography, performance, electronic music, drawing, interactive devices, performative installations, painting or connected objects.

Exhibitions:

2021

Ce qui s’oublie et ce qui reste, commissariat de // curated by Meriem Berreda & Isabelle Renard | Musée national de l'Histoire de l'immigration, Paris, France | 9 mars - 11 juillet // March 9 - July 11 | Saison Africa2020

Rhizomes, commissariat de // curated by Paula Nascimento | La Base Sous Marine, Bordeaux, France | 6 mars - 16 mai // March 6 - May 16 | Saison Africa2020

Minds Rising, Spirits Tuning: XXIII Gwangju biennale | Direction artistique // Artistic direction by Defne Ayas & Natasha Ginwala | Gwangju, Corée du Sud // South Korea | 1er avril- 9 mai // April 1 - May 9

Comme de longs échos, commissariat de // curated by Julie Pellegrin & Jean-Michel Jagot | Musée Dobrée / MAC/VAL / Garenne Lemot, France | 22 avril - 27 septembre // April 22 - September 27

Lost. In Between.Together: XXII Paiz Art Biennial | Guatemala City, Guatemala | 6 mai - 6 juin // May 6- June 6

• 13th Gwangju biennale. Curators: Defne Ayas and Natasha Ginwala. Gwangju, South Korea

• Ex Africa. Curator: Philippe Dagen. Musée du Quai Branly, Paris, France

• XXII Paiz Art Biennial. Curators: Gabriel Rodriguez et Alexia Tala. Guatemala City, Guatemala

• Comme de longs échos. Curators: Jean-Michel Jagot et Julie Pellegrin. Garenne- Lemot/Musée Dobrée, Nantes, France

• Rhizomes. Curator: Paula Nascimento. La Base Sous Marine, Bordeaux, France

• Ce qui s’oublie

et ce qui reste. Curator: Meriem Berrada. Musée National de l'Histoire de l'Immigration, Paris, France

2020

• Now Look Here (The African Art of Appearance). Curator: Renny Ramakers. New North, Amsterdam, Netherlands 2019

• Cosmopolis #2.0: Rethinking the Human. Curator: Kathryn Weir. Centre Pompidou, Paris, France

• 21st Contemporary Art Biennial Sesc_Videobrasil, Imagined Communities. Artistic director: Solange Farkas. Curator: Gabriel Bogossian.

Sāo Paulo, Brasil

• Biennale de São Tomé VIII. Curator: Renny Ramakers. São Tomé and Principe

• TIIT, performance. Goethe Institut, Salvador de Bahia, Brazil

2018

• Cosmopolis #1.5: Enlarged Intelligence. Curator: Kathryn Weir. Centre Pompidou in collaboration Mao Jihong Arts Foundation, Chengdu, China

• Biennale de Casablanca, Récits des bords de l’eau. Artistic director: Christine Eyene. Casablanca, Morocc

• LagosPhoto Festival 2018. Curators: Eva Barois De Caevel, Wunika Mukan, Charlotte Langhorst et Valentine Umansky

• Chromatics, solo show, 50 Golborne Gallery, Londres, UK

• Les pouvoirs des émotions. Curators: Laure Kaltenbach et Armelle Pasco. Centre Pompidou, Paris, France

• Dak'art Biennale, L’heure rouge / Une nouvelle humanité. Artistic director: Simon Njami. Ancien Palais de Justice, Dakar, Sénégal

• Do Disturb, Curator: Vittoria Matarrese. Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France.

• Africa Aperta II, group show. Galerie Dominique Fiat, Paris, France

Emo de Medeiros 2017

• Biennale Videobrasil. Artistic director: Solange Farkas. Sao Paulo, Brazil

• Digital Africa, group show. Curator: Christine Eyene. OGU MAG gallery, Tokyo, Japan

• Die Schönheit im Anderen, group show. Curator: Mark Gisbourne. Lieberose Castle, Germany

• The Black Sphinx, group show. Gallery Primo Marella, Milan, Italy

• Flow of Forms/Forms of Flow, group show. Curators: Kerstin Pinther and Alexandra Weigand. Karen Wimmer gallery, Munich, Germany

• Afriques Capitales, group show. Curator: Simon Njami (proposal by Dominique Fiat) , Grande Halle de La Villette, Paris, France

• Vers le Cap de Bonne-Espérance, group show. Curator: Simon Njami. Gare Saint-Sauveur, Lille, France

• Le Havre - Dakar, partager la mémoire, group show. Curator: Cédric Crémière. Muséum d'histoire naturelle, Le Havre, France

2016

• Transpositions, solo show, 50 Golborne Gallery, Londres, UK

• Transmutations, solo show. Curator: Manuela de Barros. Galerie Backslash, Paris, France

• Dakar biennale, La cité dans le jour bleu. Directeur artistique: Simon Njami. Curatrice: Valentina Gioia Levy. IFAN Museum of African Art,

Dakar, Senegal

• Marrakech biennale, Not New Now. Directrice artistique : Reem Fada. L'Blassa, Marrakech, Morocco

• The Way It Is, solo show. Art Africa Art Fair, Cape Town, South Africa

• Global Talks, Bienalsur (Bienal Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo de América del Sur), Muntref (Museo de la Universidad Nacional

de Tres de Febrero) Buenos Aires, Argentina

2015

• All things magic, solo show, Galerie RSF, Paris, France

• Pavillon du Bénin, installation, Venice Biennale Off. Venise, Italy

• Vodunaut, solo show. Curator: Didier Houenoude. Centre Arts et Cultures, Cotonou, Benin.

• Zemidjan, solo show. Ddessin contemporary drawing fair, Paris, France

• Variations, group show. Galerie Joseph, Paris, France

2013-2014

• Kaleta/Kaleta, performance and installation. Curator: Vittoria Matarrese. Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France

• Black Light Sanctuary, installation. Artistic director: Stéphane Corréard. 58ème Salon de Montrouge, Montrouge, France.

Bibliography

2021

Ex Africa - Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac - Sous la direction de Philippe Dagen - Gallimard, Paris