Echoes of the living
Biomimicry, between art and science
An exhibition developed in collaboration with Les Abattoirs and le Quai des Savoirs
The various forms of life on Earth have been constantly evolving for 3.5 billion years; animals and plants have perfected themselves to adapt to their environment. This fascinating ability of living organisms is an inexhaustible source of inspiration, leading to the creation of materials, tools, and technologies. Since the 1990s, this research has been centered around the concept of biomimicry, defined by American researcher Janine Benyus. Inspired by—and even imitating—nature, biomimicry seeks above all to understand the principles of how living organisms function in order to devise more sustainable models of organization. In a world where humans consider themselves the masters and owners of nature, biomimicry invites us to reconsider our relationship with living organisms and our place in the world.
While this approach inspires a variety of disciplines (architecture, design, engineering, medicine, etc.), artists and scientists are opening up new avenues and exploring different ways of (re)conciling living beings, science, and technology from a resilient and sensitive perspective.
The exhibition brings together the work of three artists, Pierre Jean Giloux, Jérémy Gobé, and Paula Nishijima, whose respective practices involve careful observation of our environments, where artistic and scientific research intersect or merge.
The works presented offer opportunities to understand nature and “learn to see,” to reconnect with our world. Through a variety of media, notably the creation of biomaterials, their work reconsiders the question of technological solutionism, while encouraging the creation of more subtle relationships based on interconnections and interdependencies.
Conceived by Le Quai des Savoirs, a center for scientific culture, and Les Abattoirs, an institution for modern and contemporary art, this exhibition explores the richness of the dialogue between arts and sciences and paves the way for a multidisciplinary vision. It illustrates how these fields respond to and intersect with each other, inspiring and nourishing each other, to better encourage the preservation of life and the transformation of our lifestyles.
Curators:
Lauriane Gricourt, Director of Les Abattoirs
Laurent Chicoineau, Director of Le Quai des Savoirs
Tatiana Rybaltchenko, curator
In media partnership with
