Jean-Sebastien Lallemand (Seba Lallemand) was born in France in 1973 then lived in West Africa until the age of 13. After graduating from the Institut d'Arts Visuels (fine arts school), he joined Fabrica, the creative laboratory directed by Oliviero Toscani, Benetton photographer and advertiser. He worked on visual design projects and directed a short film, "Afterwords", produced by Marco Muller and selected at the Venice, Rotterdam, Paris, Croatia, and Rome Film Festivals. In 2001, back to Paris, while pursuing his artistic projects, he worked as a video director (i.e Gotan Project, French Music Award 2002). In 2003, he set up "Eyesmile" advertising and communication company in Hong Kong. He is based in Beijing since 2006. In 2007, he worked as a cinematographer for Wang Bing, and as a director and a cinematographer for Ai Wei Wei’s Fairy Tale project in the Kassel Documenta international exhibition (Germany). He is currently completing a feature movie “Do we have an understanding?”. His work, from videos, photos to installations and paintings uses elements from the ludic sphere of childhood while focusing on the theme of the outcast from society.
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1973年出生于法国，在非洲西部一直生活到十三岁。从 the Institut d'Arts Visuels （艺术学院）毕业后便加入了由Oliviero Toscani 带领的Fabrica 创意实验室。他的视频影像设计项目和执导的短片（由Marco Muller制作）“编后记”入选了威尼斯，鹿特丹，巴黎，克罗地亚和罗马电影节。2001年， 他回到巴黎，开始追求他的艺术梦想，从事视频导演工作，(Gotan Project，2002年法国音乐奖）。2003年，他在香港创立了“Eyesmile”广告公司，2006年，来到北京工作。2007年他担任德国Kassel Documenta 国际展中“艾未未的童话故事”的总监和摄影师。现在，他正在制作一个特色电影“我们有理解吗？”。他的作品把儿时顽皮的元素融合到视频，摄影，装置和绘画等艺术领域中，并关注被社会所放逐的主题。 |
Bonne Etoile
For his « Bonne Etoile », Jean-Sébastien Lallemand (alias Séba) has used basic materials. “I just need sugar and ants”, he told us. Like a child simply playing with the little creatures and food that he has found around him, the artist creates a poetic image for the viewer. Randomly thrown all together on the white floor, these thousands of little black creatures help us realise the outlines of the stars that the artist has drawn with white sugar.
But the poetry also has an alternate side. The installation is a metaphor of covetous instincts. Séba was inspired by the scandal that happened in Liaoning last November. A well established company sold the local population ants that were to be raised, and which insured a large profit. Once raised, the ants were supposed to provide magic substances for Viagra pills that could be sold back for a gracious price. Every Liaoning home trusted the company. Peasants believed in the trick and in the imminent fortune they would make. The disappointment that has been experienced is similar to the size of their original hopes. The whole business was a farce; families were financially ruined and therefore began to protest.
People were blindly attracted by profit as the ants are to the sugar. Greediness had made them loose their minds and not see the obviousness of the trick being played on them.
In the case of the installation and in actuality, this greediness has been and was carefully organized by an external factor. The artist has had to think about ways to surround and confine the ants: this installation requires scientific knowledge. How should one keep these disobedient ants in the middle of the installation? How to prevent them escaping? A few proposals have been raised: ants fear talcum powder and limestone; ants don’t cross water, etc.
The ants going toward the wet sugar seems to be a collective act. In fact, it is an isolated individual comportment dictated by profit and greediness. They don’t build a society; the envy isolates them from each other. The movement of the whole is orchestered by the artist’s touch who observed the natural attractions and uses natural rules. And slowly the stars will vanish, corroded by the hunger of the tiny creatures.
The ants devour, they have vast appetites. Their starvation stimulated Séba’s creative spirit. The ants and the sugar create an unexpected combination. Séba plays with the Stars. His cuisine is made of the Stars.
Hermance de La Bastide
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Bonne Etoile
在 Seba 的“Bonne Etoile”作品中他运用了非常简单的材料。“我只需要糖和蚂蚁”，他告诉我们。就像孩子用他身边的东西或者食物就可以玩耍一样。艺术家 为观众呈现了富于创造性的图景，他把无数只蚂蚁随意地撒在白色的地板上，渐渐就会出现艺术家用白糖画出的五角星。
像诗歌一样这个装置的背后蕴含着更深的含义，它暗喻生命贪婪的本性。SEBA 的灵感来源于发生在去年11月份发生在东北辽宁的蚂蚁养殖事件。一个著名的企业把蚂蚁卖给老百姓让他们饲养，之后会以高价收回用于企业制药。老百姓梦想一夜致富，把毕生的积蓄都用于蚂蚁饲养，但它们没能想到这只是一个骗局。许多家庭因此失去了全部积蓄而开始集体抗议。
人们盲目地被利益所吸引就像是蚂蚁食糖一样。贪婪让他们头脑发昏不能意识到自己正被欺骗。
在实施这个装置的过程中被很多现实因素所影响。艺术家不得不思考如何控制住到处乱爬的蚂蚁，于是需要运用科学知识。一些可行的方案被提出：蚂蚁害怕滑石粉，石灰粉，水等。
蚂蚁食糖的举动看起来像是一个集体行动，但事实上是利益与贪婪作怪的独立行动。它们并不是一个整体，嫉妒使它们相互分离。艺术家利用自然法则与规律掌控着整个装置行动。
蚂蚁狼吞虎咽，看起来有极大的胃口。它们的饥饿激发了Seba 的创作灵感。 蚂蚁与糖形成了出人意料的结合。Seba用五角星来玩耍，他用五角星来烹调美食。
玉盈
北京2008年5月6号
翻译 姚垚 |
