Sebastien Reuze
The work of Sébastien Reuzé focuses on the various practices of photography, and its relationship to contemporary myths. His approach is manyfold and comprehensive and he resorts to other mediums such as scenography, video, sculpture and publishing.
“Indeed, if Reuzé’s primary body of work is mainly made up by photographs, his projects often leads him to the creation of sculptural objects, editions, as well as of architectural/structural interventions on the display devices. On a global level, Reuzé develops a constant research in terms of supports, formats, techniques and display devices, in order to enhance the subjective and expressive potential of daily life and of landscape as a genre.” (Emmanuel Lambion, in text for exhibition FOES, solo show at Art Brussels 2016 he curated, with Maïté Vissault).
Sébastien’s latest work included Indian Springs (2012-13), a photographic fiction on the day of a drone pilot, and serie Colorblind Sands (2012-15), “a matricial body of photographs developed by Reuzé over the past few years, drawing its free inspiration from J.G. Ballard’s Vermilion Sands.
In this series, Reuzé revisits the tradition of the American photographic road movie (…).
The fictitious character of a soldier from the US Air Force in a strange, unheimlich and liminal environment, between real and virtual world is the main hero of this series.
His is a pilot of drones, who somehow influences the real world through virtual reality. His fights resemble those of a video game, but are actually firmly rooted in the real world, between a form of detachment from modern contingencies and the complicit acceptance of technological hyper-surveillance.” (Emmanuel Lambion, ibid).
Edition is an important part of his work : Independance, 2001 (9 drapeaux, ed. VU, Québec, CA). Constellations, 2002 (ed. La Lettre Volée). Natures Mortes I II III IV V VI, 2003. CMYK, 2004. Jeu de Cartes, 2006, (ed. BOZAR). Numéristique, 2009 (ed. La Lettre Volée). Wavelengths of Light, 2010 (ed. Contretype). Brooklands Morning, 2013, (ed. Herman Byrd). Bullseye of Indian Springs, 2015 (ed. Herman Byrd). Le Morning, 2015 (ed. Herman Byrd).
He is the co-founder, together with Erwan Mahéo, of avatar Herman Byrd, a fictitious character, who is also a publisher.
Sébastien Reuzé has received several awards : Programme Hors les Murs de l’Institut Français (2011), Young Belgian Art Prize (2005), Residence du Centre Photographique d’Île de France (2005)…
Some selected shows : CAMERA(AUTO)CONTROL, Centre de La Photographie de Genève (CH, 2016) ; Magic and Power, Marta Herford Museum, Herford (D, 2016) ; Le Morning Etablissements d’En Face, Brussels (B, 2015) ; Dark Rising Sun, De La Charge, Brussels (B, 2015) ; Le Centre du Monde, FRAC Bretagne, Rennes (F, 2014) Young Belgian Art Prize, BOZAR, Brussels (B, 2005) ; 3 + 3 font…, Centre Photographique d’ïle-de-France, Pontault-Combault (F, 2005) ; Sébastien Reuzé, La Criée Centre d’Art Contemporain, Rennes (F, 2003) .
