Artist and surfer Olivier Millagou (b. 1974, Toulon), based in Bandol, France, shares his philosophy of art as a sustainable practice - combining localism, ecology and a sparing approach to creation. You've adopted a frugal way of living and creating, inspired by your passion for surfing. How did the link between the two come about? [...]
In your personal exhibition here in Venice, "Medusa Alga Laguna", you show a particular interest in the jellyfish and algae of the lagoon ecosystem. Sargassum algae is an invasive species that arrived recently here in Venice, which is creating major problems in the lagoon, just like jellyfish, which are also on the rise. Their proliferation [...]
Like the jellyfish and algae proliferating in the Venetian lagoon underneath this year’s Biennale (read our article on the 2022 Venice Biennale here), the number of exhibitions on environmental issues, more thankfully, continues to grow. In particular, water and marine ecosystems are the subject of numerous new biennales, shows, and art spaces. Back on land, [...]
Despite a troubled period which placed many exhibitions under threat, a wind of optimism is now blowing with the arrival of spring, with exhibitions and artistic tours taking place in the open air. Art takes over public spaces, nature enters museums; the boundaries between interior and exterior are dissipating, changing the relationship between art and [...]
It’s everywhere, big and small, in exhibitions and art fairs, homes and offices: "Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) used in a raw dry environment", otherwise known simply in France as medium. But what is the lifecycle of an MDF board? To find out, it's simple, you have to make your EPD or Environmental Product Declaration! Let's [...]
Art of Change 21 - How did you start to deal with environmental issues in your work? I have always been drawn to the natural world. My father is a geophysicist, and some of my first memories are of the small museum of geology in the building where he worked. At its entrance was an [...]
At a time of digital transformation of the art sector, both via virtual exhibitions, digital art, mobile applications and eCommerce platforms, questions about its environmental impact are being raised more now than ever. Because the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry is the most resource intensive, and plays a significant part in climate change. Some [...]
Let’s start the year 2021 with 21 items of good news and let us voluntarily place ourselves under the sign of optimism, according to a famous quote by Antonio Gramsci: "We must combine the pessimism of reason with the optimism of will". The year 2020, so unprecedented, has led us to constantly adapt, develop and [...]
From the 17th of October 2020 until the 28th of February 2021, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts is presenting its seventh edition of the contemporary art biennial, curated by the artist Jui-Chung Yao (姚瑞中) and entitled “Subzoology”. By examining the Buddhist belief of reincarnation, where the non-physical essence of human beings begins new [...]
Art of change 21 - Your work has dealt with ecological issues since the 90s. How did that begin? Bigert & Bergström - We met when we were students at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm. We were both regular visitors to the Biological Museum in the city which has been there since 1893. [...]
