A few photos of the Bwhat?! exhibition that took place at 12 rue Arsène Vermenouze in Aurillac in June 2011

"Box music" by Florent Bourgain, one of the works of art that could be heard at the Bwhat?! festival

My Bwhat?! project is a piece of music. I was inspired by Erik Satie, a 19th century French composer, who didn’t take what he did too seriously (as illustrated by his “Musique en forme de poire”). He wrote without regard for the rules and musical forms of his time. His work is impressionistic and repetitive.

My piece is also repetitive, hinting at a “three-dimensional” soundscape. I have pushed my homage to the point of drawing the written score itself as a box…

The happy/sad music accompanies a song called: “I wrote this song for you…” whose self-referential lyrics are about isolation (being stuck in an existential “box”). The words are a vague reference to Carly Simon’s 1972 hit:”You’re so vain, you probably think this song is about you…”

"Box triptych" by Laura Caumel, one of the works on show at the Bwhat?! festival

When our teacher announced the theme of this year’s European section arts project, you should have seen the faces we all made! “Boxes” didn’t inspire us at first but when you “brainstorm” the word “box”, you think of several things: skyscrapers, candy, pizza or shoe boxes, even coffins, etc. In our daily lives we are surrounded by things that are box-like.

Whilst searching on the Bwhat?! project blog, we discovered a wealth of ideas. There are many sources of inspiration, each one more weird than the last. This made us use our imagination which, being in high school, we very rarely do… Some of the boxes on the site inspired me more than the rest: the one in the film “Seven”, the Jack-in-the-box, the Christmas gift, the Nothing boxes, and the Finger boxes by the Japanese Fluxus artist Ay-O.

After a bit of thinking I came up with this triptych of hands-on surprise boxes. You're probably wondering what the point of this “work of art” is? Unfortunately I don’t really know myself! I love to laugh, have fun and joke around and that is maybe why I have chosen to create these bizarre boxes. I will not give any more details on the contents (that is the whole point!) and I will let you find out for yourselves the “innards”…

Boxes are generally just banal, boring containers. But, they hide what is inside and so they can create a sense of curiosity, apprehension or even fear... In creating my arty boxes I wanted to provoke these sensations. Will you dare open something with unknown contents? Is what is inside going to be a pleasant surprise? Enjoy!

"Inside our own private goggle box" by Marie Serre and Melissa Ben Allal, one of the works at the Bwhat?! festival

Visitors ogling at M&M's goggle box...

We are two slightly dotty girls who are totally nuts about fashion and addicted to fashion magazines! We also share an interest in film and our dream is to travel the world together.

Three years ago, we went to England. During our trip, we visited a museum in London. We saw a box in which a film was screened. This box inspired us for our Bwhat?! project.

We have made a home movie (more of a slide show in fact) and stuck it in a home-made TV set. This TV “box” symbolizes, in a way, friendship (but not our own!) with its constraints, illusions and delusions. It is a means for you to peek inside our world...

In this film, fashion is the obsession of the two characters (played by ourselves). The soundtrack is pinched from the French film “Tout ce qui brille”. It is about freedom and summarises the girls’ philosophy. They also have a guilty pleasure: overdosing on macaroons. Any similarity with persons living or dead is purely coincidental...

We had a lot of fun making the “movie” and we hope you will enjoy watching it!

"Mailstones" by Anne-Sophie Belbezet, one of the works of art at the Bwhat?! festival

Visitors having a look at Sophie's project...

Have you heard of “La Ronde des Quartiers”? It is the name given to a lovely walk around the city of Aurillac. It is indeed a pleasure to discover the different neighbourhoods along this 22km circuit, even by bike on a wet and cold March day, which is how I first discovered it...

This circuit inspired me for my Bwhat?! arts project; I intend to create “artistic” milestones with enigmatic messages on them so that I can “communicate” with the people walking along the “Ronde des Quartiers”.

Milestones normally indicate the distance to a destination. But as this hike is a circuit, with no particular starting point, milestones would be useless. That is why I have removed their role as distance/destination markers. That way, people can keep rambling (endlessly) in a loop!

I also had the idea of creating mailboxes which would allow the walkers to leave and receive messages. The concept of “mailstones” was launched, i.e. a mix of mailboxes and milestones.

But, what kind of messages will I leave? Well, words that people might find fun or thought-provoking.

Every mailstone is the same shape. What changes is the writing, apart from “←22km→” written on the top, and “The road to happiness” and “Have fun!” written on the sides. Only the message on the front is different every time. “←22km→” is the length of the circuit and is an ironic take on the fact that there is no actual final destination (making the mailstones useless from a practical point of view and just a daft work of art!).“The road to happiness” is there because I think this ramble is really wonderful (though it might also make one think that, as the circuit is potentially never-ending, happiness is always out-of-reach...). “Have fun!” is a “yellow brick road” imperative; to have fun in life is essential. But, on the pilgrimage through life, is finding happiness and having fun the ultimate point of existence? Sometimes, the journey seems endless and tiring...

The messages are:

CHEESE! When someone takes your picture, you have to say “cheese!” Also, the Cantal is a cheese (it is as much part of our identity as the rocky landscape...). If you do not understand what I mean, well, that’s hard cheese!

UP↓ Which way is “up”? (this was inspired by Piero Manzoni’s “Socle du Monde” and the mark on cardboard boxes used for transporting stuff). Finding your way on this walk is easy, but, in life, finding your way is not always that obvious...

A LONE(LY) BENCH I like this idea because if you do the hike alone you can sit on the mailstone and look at the landscape...

FRAGILE This is ironic because a mailstone is not fragile. But, nothing, in the end, is permanent...

ROCK Mailstones are made of rock and they do not “roll”! Plus, I love Rock & Roll!

SING! : Follow this order if you are fed up walking! And, they say, trees whisper, so standing stones probably sing.

DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? There is something silly in an inanimate object asking us this question. Can a stone itself know that it exists? We can also ask ourselves the big existential question...

INSERT A COIN The frustrating thing is that this stone is not a slot machine; at least you will not be disappointed not to win the jackpot!

MAKE A WISH What do you want most out of life?

PLINTH This is a “standing” stone! i.e. you can stand on it and stand still as a statue for a while and be admired for 15 minutes.

PRAY STATION This is a vague pun on the “PLAY STATION” game, so it is a comment I suppose on the futility of existence (video games are good time-wasters). It is also about stopping and meditating (praying if you will) on this 22km pilgrimage to nowhere...

WE WERE HERE! But you “were” not here since, when you look at this mailstone, you ARE here. You will no longer be here only once you leave this spot. “You were here” only if you come back to the same spot (i.e. you are walking around in circles). Perhaps the “we” is another group of people? Who were they? This graffiti is a joke about movement, time and space, about us and the anonymous others. It is also a reference to the “You are here” indication on town maps which I always find amusing because it just confirms that you are indeed lost!

Le festival Bwhat?! plutôt une réussite!

Bwhat?! est le nom d'un mini festival qui a eu lieu en juin 2011 à Aurillac. Près de trois cents élèves ont assisté aux spectacles de danse, et quelques cent cinquante adultes et jeunes ont visité l'exposition au 12, rue Arsène Vermenouze.

A l'initiative de la section européenne du Lycée Saint-Eugène (Ensemble Scolaire Gerbert), ce projet artistique et culturel sur le thème de la boîte a été réalisé en partenariat avec la Société des lettres, sciences et arts La Haute-Auvergne, le Lycée de la Communication Saint-Géraud, et le Centre Danse Mouvement Image Vendetta Mathea La Manufacture.

Le but du projet a été de donner libre cours à l'imagination des jeunes, qu'ils puissent s'exprimer (sans jugement esthétique de la part des professeurs) à travers les formes artistiques de leur choix (art plastique, texte écrit, composition musicale, danse, court métrage, photo). Ils ont pu travailler sur la durée (une année scolaire), aussi bien seuls qu'en groupes. Le festival a été l'occasion pour eux de montrer et de communiquer sur leurs créations.

Pourquoi ce thème a priori loufoque? Il fallait un sujet « fourre-tout », laissant libre court à l'imagination de chacun, qui réponde à l'envie d'originalité des élèves, de pouvoir se raconter mais de façon indirecte. En même temps, la boîte est un objet, un symbole, maintes fois utilisé dans la création artistique. Les quelques deux cent cinquante « boîtes » répertoriées sur le blog du festival témoignent du fait que l'humble contenant est une source d'inspiration artistique riche...

Nous avons élaboré une « typologie » de la boîte:

• La boîte comme un contenant de choses connues: la boîte à cigares, à bijoux...
• La boîte comme un contenant de choses inconnues: cadeau, bombe...
• La boîte comme moyen d'enfermement: cellule de prison, tombe...
• La boîte comme refuge: cachette, chambre...
• La boîte comme représentation de limites: peurs, préjugés, conformisme...
• La boîte comme moyen de transformation (quelque chose entre dans la boîte et en ressort transformé): confessionnal, réfrigérateur...
• La boîte qui interagit avec le monde: voiture...

C'est donc ce que peut représenter la boîte qui est intéressant; comme objet ou idée artistique, la banale boîte devient porteuse d'idées, de sens, de souvenirs, d'émotions, de potentialités, de sentiments, de ressentis...

C'est parce que nous avons su travailler en partenariat que nos jeunes ont eu la possibilité de s'exprimer, d'être reconnus. Le festival Bwhat?! a été un véritable coffre aux trésors d'œuvres d'une étonnante qualité, débordantes d'imagination, d'idées, de sensibilité, et de cet humour décalé propre aux adolescents. Rassurons-nous, à en juger par ce projet, les jeunes sont plutôt optimistes!

Last chance to see the Bwhat?! art exhibition by the Secondes section euro from Saint-Eugène and pupils from Saint-Géraud on the theme of... BOXES!

 

Wednesday 29th June 2011 from 10am to 5pm

12 rue Vermenouze in the centre of Aurillac

 Come and tell us what you think!

Think outside the box! Don't be boring... be there!

Come and enjoy the show!

See you there!

Why are you all looking in the cupboard?!

Tereza and Bob the box

Your comments please...

Bwhat?! FESTIVAL: the private view (vernissage) took place last Wednesday 1st June... fun for all the family!

COME AND SEE THESE WORKS OF ART (AND MORE) AT
12 rue de Vermenouze, Aurillac,
EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY OF JUNE (10 o'clock to 5 o'clock)!

Boogy boxes by Lisa Desjobert, photos by Alex Desjobert

You would think that a night club would be the usual week-end meeting place for people, generally under 30, who want to dance in an overcrowded space (called a “boîte” i.e. a box in French) listening to loud music. And you are right. But it is not just clubbers, dancers, DJs and sundry losers that go to night clubs; there are also very interesting people…

The first category of person is teenagers, who go to nightclubs to listen to music and dance with their friends.

Then, you have those who drop in unannounced because they are drunk and have no clue to what’s going on or where they are, but since they’re here, why not try to dance?

Then, you have the singles that come alone or with a friend, and expect their body moves to attract someone else.

Some are there because they were dragged in by their best friend who thinks they don’t go out enough. Those people usually meet at the bar all the non-dancers/drunk people who don’t know what the hell they are doing there, but alcohol smooths things along...

You also can find those who can’t hold their liquor and nod violently to the loud noise, I mean music, at the same time, and spend all the night throwing up on their shoes.

Then, you have the annoying girl who speaks very loudly and just seems to know every song and just loves them all and she tries to boogy on down to the dance floor, grabbing your hand saying: “Come on! I looooove this song!” and, because you resist, she’ll go on her own, trying to show you she can still have a great time even without you.

Of course, you have THE girl, the only one who knows how to dance with high heels and still look amazing. She’s surrounded by a bunch of losers who try to get her attention by showing how lame they are. It’s not their fault, but boys will be boys!
If you go outside, you’ll find the smokers, and those who are too hot, the couples, and those who are throwing up, again.

On your way back in, you could cross the path of someone in the “Old” category. They are over 30 and don’t exactly dance the same way normal people do. They will “rock” to every sound, even if it’s Techno.

The last group of people (mostly old too) is made up of those who think they can dance, but seriously don’t have it! And by “it”, I mean rhythm!

So, what kind of person do you think you are? In which category do you place your friends? Your time to talk!

FRIENDSHIP BOX by Alissa Viguier & Camille Moins

Our box is the result of many artistic influences, but the sculptor Joseph Cornell undoubtedly inspired us most. From his work emanates a sort of humanity. The boxes he made were "alive". This modern artist made creations about things we cannot see: ideas, memories, fantasies, and dreams; we find this fascinating. We love the fact that he shared his feelings. He created visual poems in which surface, form, and texture, all fit perfectly together. According to him, materials for making boxes can be found anywhere: attics, basements, bookshops, in the woods, and sometimes in the street… Cornell was a precursor in the use of boxes in art and his work really was the main starting point of our house. Our work will pay homage to Cornell.

The main idea of our project is to expose our tastes, our desires, our fears, our passions, or the things we reject. It is a mix of two different personalities: Alissa’s and Camille’s. The board, in the shape of a house, has lots of squares; it has no fewer than ninety three niches of different sizes, each one containing an object which has a particular meaning for us. Camille and I share the box because it is also about our friendship.

Over the last few months we have become obsessed with this box! How were we to show abstract ideas and capture our feelings? It has been essential to work on ourselves to understand ourselves better and decrypt our daily lives.

Most niches are common to both of us but some are personal.

The house is for us a symbol of safety, stability and happiness, as well as of our friendship.

To open a home, you need a key. It symbolizes opening, the finding of a solution... We have chosen to invite you to enter our home, our lives. A key is often symbolic, a sign of generosity, sometimes of responsibility, and in our case, trust in each other.

Our birth dates appear in black on a white background. We were born on the same day nine months apart. Both boxes are directly inspired by the artist On Kawara. In fact, he takes open wooden boxes and adds newspaper clippings with corresponding dates. He puts an item in his box, and thus captures life from day to day.

Our families are very different. Camille has a brother and three sisters, whereas I only have one sister. However, both our families are very important in our lives. We share the idea of founding a big and beautiful family. To be able to raise our children and have an interesting job too is really important for us.

Camille has a goldfish: Albert. I have a dog: Calisse. Both animals are very different, but bring us happiness.

In the middle of the house, there is Camille’s blanket when she was a child. This "transitional object" is reassuring and a childhood souvenir.

This year, Camille and I are in “Seconde 2”; there are twenty six students in the class and we are all friends. We wanted to honour our class mates through a box. And as you can see there is a box in the middle for them.

Working is a fundamental concern when it comes to high school. Career advice, quizzes, forms, everything is planned to guide us in our future project. Camille already knows what she wants to do later; she hopes to become an architect. I still do not know what I want to do later... I cannot make up my mind between journalism and advertising. When we were children, we dreamt of becoming hairdressers!

Our passion is dancing; it takes up three hours of our time every week.

We all love sports in general, it allows us to spend energy and feel free. Competition is also important for us; it helps us to surpass ourselves.

Reading allows us to enter into a whole new world. It is a real pleasure and we relish each new book.

Movies, music, photography, painting, crafts, writing; all forms of art are beautiful. Since we were kids we have enjoyed craft work. Why not make it our jobs?

Clothing, shoes, fashion accessories, etc. may seem superficial, but at our age, fashion is very important. Girls like to take care of their appearance; it is a facet of adolescence. Camille loves Zadig & Voltaire, me, I’m more Sandro. We love shoes and bags! But, is it so important to have the latest Gucci bag or the new Louboutin, at a time when the world is crying famine?

Paris is today one of the most famous fashion capitals, it annually attracts millions of tourists. It is the representation of all things French and elegant.

The computer is becoming ever more important, not to mention the explosion of social networking with Facebook. 48% of teenagers spend more than three hours per day watching TV. One of the niches is about this fact.

We dream of travelling. Trips free the mind and bring knowledge. We went to England a few years back and we found it amazing!

Food and cooking are everywhere in life, so we decided to devote four boxes to it: one with a recipe and a whip, the other for our love of sweets, the next for fruit and the last for fast food.

Religion plays an important role in Camille’s life, for my part much less. But an experience links us whatever our beliefs, that of the “PéléVTT”. This pilgrimage by bike opened my mind and heart. It is symbolized by a pink scarf, which represents our team colours last June. This adventure was rewarding and exciting for us.

The weather punctuates our days. It influences our moods, our activities, our habits, our dress codes. Not a day goes by without us talking about the weather. It is essential to enjoy life to the full, not to have regrets.

Several boxes in the house are locked up with a red cross; this cross expresses the things we reject. The first is Mathematics, an enigmatic subject for us (too many numbers!). It is an intangible and abstract art. The second deals with housework and other distressing chores: “set the table, make the bed, and empty the dishwasher!” The third is devoted to rain. Waking up in the morning in a good mood, and discovering through the window that it is raining is simply awful.

A (good) surprise is the most pleasant way to break routine! A big or a small one, surprises bring happiness and help to forget little worries. Let us be inventive!

Our birthdays are on the second day of the month and 2 is also our lucky number. It may be superstitious, but sometimes we believe in magic. 2 is inexplicable...

Our fears are numerous, both big and small: the dark, death, emptiness, unemployment, spiders, the white page, the Maths book...

Why a black box? Two possible explanations: black represents the lack of inspiration ("it's a total blank in my mind!” i.e. the difficulty of finding a good idea, of making the right choice) and the "black box" can also refer to the box found on a plane which contains a wealth of information. These two ideas are contradictory, yet it characterizes the frustration and the joy experienced by some artists when they do their work.

The Cantal is a land of cows. It is the only department where there are more cows than people! Aurillac, its capital, is considered as a town that is always cold, but it is in fact the 17th sunniest city in France. The city has had 2084 hours of sun every year between 1970 and 2000. From the outside, the town seems banal, but it is like a secret garden where, with a bit of effort, it is possible to discover a few pretty flowers.

Our house does not completely reveal our lives; there are still some hidden areas, our own secret garden...

If you look in the mirror in one of the niches you will find yourself invited inside our friendship box! You too are part of our lives now...

Our friendship box is also a "pas de deux", the result of our combined efforts. I met Camille two years ago, and we immediately appreciated each other. We share the same interests, though our personalities are different. Our differences have created links between us. We started the house two months ago; we have built, shaped and decorated it together. Eugene Cloutier said: "Friendship is slow to mature, whereas life is fast”. By creating this box together, our friendship has grown.

YOU CAN SEE THIS WORK OF ART DURING THE BWHAT?! FESTIVAL AT 12 RUE DE VERMENOUZE AURILLAC EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY FROM 10:00 TO 17:00 DURING JUNE 2011!

Bwhat?! FESTIVAL!