Rustic Chic

Alexia Pouget-Néron plays with the archetypes and socio-cultural connotations of the objects she appropriates, as well as the images she takes while holidaying in France. It is through these images, which are somewhere between sculptures and photographs, that Alexia tenderly creates portraits of individuals which are also portraits of class. The artist pays close attention to social landscapes and local events; before travelling, she scouts out potential festivals that might interest her. The artist then finds herself at the heart of popular festivals, or driving around the countryside in search of vernacular subjects. While her pieces can sometimes be humorous, they can also question the way we look at others.

Her work is driven by encounters and exchanges, the time spent chatting that is essential if we are to break down the initial barrier of appearances and stereotypes. The ‘Rustic Chic’ exhibition invites us to question the other that we often construct between what we perceive and what we project. In this rural journey between kitsch and sensibility, Alexia shares singular stories that take place as much in the routine of passing days as in the snapshot of ephemeral celebrations. By carefully observing the people she meets and their environments, and by defusing the stereotypes we produce through a sincere approach to her subjects, Alexia invites her viewers to cultivate an interest in the life and history of others.

Artistic coordinator : Zlata Teplyshova