From 16 October to 2 November 2024, embark on a journey along the rivers.

‘Quand l’eau s’en mêle’ is a group exhibition organised as part of the Résonance programme of the 17th Biennial of Contemporary Art, the theme of which is “Crossing the water les voix des fleuves”. This exhibition invites us to rethink our relationship with rivers, vital elements that we must protect to safeguard the future of generations to come.

You are all invited to come and meet the 10 artists who have come together to work on this project at the opening on Thursday 17 October 2024, starting at 6pm.

An artistic residency

From 25 September to 13 October, resident artists from different disciplines will come together to explore their perceptions of rivers. They will exchange ideas, collaborate and create individual and collective works inspired by these powerful and fascinating waterways.

The exhibition

At the end of the residency, from 16 October to 2 November, the works created by the artists will come to life in a scenography based on the sinuosity of a river. Let yourself be carried along on this eventful journey and discover the many facets of the living world that revolves around rivers.

Painting, drawing, photography, mosaics, kirigami, installations… The artists will be using a wide range of techniques to capture the very essence of rivers, their beauty, their dangers and the human stories that are woven around them.

Beyond their natural appearance, rivers are also witnesses to the journeys, often forced, of those who crossed them in search of a better future. The exhibition will explore themes such as migration, shattered hopes and the dreams realised by those who have dared to brave the waves. Somewhere between art and storytelling, the works will offer a sensitive and engaging look at these life stories. The exhibition promises to be a veritable artistic voyage along the water, a vibrant tribute to the power and diversity of rivers and the people who live, dream and suffer by them.

The resident artists

Alice Sauvage – mosaic artist, Nicolas Badout – illustrator, Sophie-Kim Touras – painter, Barbara Lerch – visual artist, Sébastien Ferraro – photographer, Margot Nassiet – visual artist, Valerie Simoncelli – urban pencil artist, Keletigui Sylla – poet, Arthur Varenne – textile artist and illustrator, Maïe Alexandre – kirigamist.