Contre-Histoire de la Séparation
2010
video
The film "Counter-history of Separation", co-written with Vincent Normand, is an ambitious documentary which begins under The Reign of Terror which would simultaneously witness the invention of the guillotine as a mass-execution device, and the creation of the prototype of the modern museum with the opening of the Muséum central des arts de la République, the first public collection and ancestor of the Louvre, and ends up in 1977, when the last decapitation by guillotine occurred and the Centre Pompidou, a new museum paradigm, was inaugurated. Through this film, which consists of hands manipulating diverse documents and objects upon an animation stand and complemented with a commentary full of poetic erudition, the authors evoke two hundred years of parallel histories, which often interrelate, of two systems, each of them having seemingly a rather opposite goal: in the case of the guillotine, if that particular device aims to literally separate one part of the social body from the rest, its main purpose is in fine to strengthen it; as for the museum, if it primarily intends to form a national identity, and therefore unite, the process of assembling scattered objects is subsequently connected to their harsh removal from their initial locations. Consequently, Étienne CHAMBAUD and Vincent NORMAND question the disintegration of the political functions of the guillotine and the modern museum in what they call 'the Beheaded Museum', the space of the dissolution of the cut (the guillotine) and the genealogical suture (the modern museum). The voice-over has been recorded at the occasion of the performance "Contre-histoire de la séparation" on October 22 2010 at Centre Pompidou, Paris.
Contre-Histoire de la Séparation (Documents Seuls), Fragment 1
2011
documents, felt-tip pen on plexiglas, frame
79 x 136 centimeters
Unique
In his series of two-dimensional works "Counter-History of Separation (fragments)", Étienne CHAMBAUD uses the documents and objects that were shown in the homonymous film, manipulated by the artist's hand: they are presented within elaborate frames made of successive glass panels, structures that directly refer to the animation stand. Thus deprived of the orality, in this case the commentary, which animated them in the film, the artifacts merely lie at the bottom of their frameworks.
Contre-Histoire de la Séparation (Documents Seuls), Fragment 2
2011
documents, acrylic paint, frame; prints on clear paper, frame
79 x 136 centimeters
Unique
In his series of two-dimensional works works "Counter-History of Separation (fragments)", Étienne CHAMBAUD uses the documents and objects that were manipulated by the artist's hand in the homonymous film: they are presented within elaborate frames made of successive glass panels, structures that directly refer to the animation stand. Thus deprived of the orality, in this case the commentary, which animated them in the film, the artifacts merely lie at the bottom of their frameworks.
Contre-Histoire de la Séparation (Documents Seuls), Fragment 3
2011
documents, acrylic paint, frame; prints on clear paper, frame
79 x 136 centimeters
Unique
In his series of two-dimensional works works "Counter-History of Separation (fragments)", Étienne CHAMBAUD uses the documents and objects that were manipulated by the artist's hand in the homonymous film: they are presented within elaborate frames made of successive glass panels, structures that directly refer to the animation stand. Thus deprived of the orality, in this case the commentary, which animated them in the film, the artifacts merely lie at the bottom of their frameworks.
Contre-Histoire de la Séparation (Documents Seuls), Fragment 4
2011
oak frames, frame
79 x 136 centimeters
Unique
In his series of two-dimensional works works "Counter-History of Separation (fragments)", Étienne CHAMBAUD uses the documents and objects that were manipulated by the artist's hand in the homonymous film: they are presented within elaborate frames made of successive glass panels, structures that directly refer to the animation stand. Thus deprived of the orality, in this case the commentary, which animated them in the film, the artifacts merely lie at the bottom of their frameworks.
Contre-Histoire de la Séparation (Documents Seuls), Fragment 5
2011
inkjet prints, postcards, invitation card, frame
79 x 136 centimeters
Unique
In his series of two-dimensional works works "Counter-History of Separation (fragments)", Étienne CHAMBAUD uses the documents and objects that were manipulated by the artist's hand in the homonymous film: they are presented within elaborate frames made of successive glass panels, structures that directly refer to the animation stand. Thus deprived of the orality, in this case the commentary, which animated them in the film, the artifacts merely lie at the bottom of their frameworks.
Contre-Histoire de la Séparation (Documents Seuls), Fragment 6
2011
documents, acrylic paint, frame; prints on clear paper, frame
79 x 136 centimeters
Unique
In his series of two-dimensional works works "Counter-History of Separation (fragments)", Étienne CHAMBAUD uses the documents and objects that were manipulated by the artist's hand in the homonymous film: they are presented within elaborate frames made of successive glass panels, structures that directly refer to the animation stand. Thus deprived of the orality, in this case the commentary, which animated them in the film, the artifacts merely lie at the bottom of their frameworks.
Contre-Histoire de la Séparation (Documents Seuls), Fragment 7
2011
inkjet prints, frame
79 x 136 centimeters
Unique
In his series of two-dimensional works works "Counter-History of Separation (fragments)", Étienne CHAMBAUD uses the documents and objects that were manipulated by the artist's hand in the homonymous film: they are presented within elaborate frames made of successive glass panels, structures that directly refer to the animation stand. Thus deprived of the orality, in this case the commentary, which animated them in the film, the artifacts merely lie at the bottom of their frameworks.
Contre-Histoire de la Séparation (Documents Seuls), Fragment 8
2011
celluloid, inkjet prints, frame
79 x 136 centimeters
Unique
In his series of two-dimensional works works "Counter-History of Separation (fragments)", Étienne CHAMBAUD uses the documents and objects that were manipulated by the artist's hand in the homonymous film: they are presented within elaborate frames made of successive glass panels, structures that directly refer to the animation stand. Thus deprived of the orality, in this case the commentary, which animated them in the film, the artifacts merely lie at the bottom of their frameworks.
