Vegetarian dinosaurs

Florentine and Alexandre Lamarche-Ovize have been working together since 2006. The association is conducive to their seemingly boundless thirst for knowledge and discovery. In the wake of geographer Elisée Reclus, they take the measure of the world and capture the thousand and one details that shape its beauty. Their work is profuse and curious. Fluid and ever-changing, it does not assert any truth, but proceeds by shifts, resonances and suggestions.

Drawing is at the forefront of their approach, generous and overflowing, at once a reading grid and an object of analysis. And it’s always extremely seductive, blossoming in a dizzying array of motifs, colors and techniques. We can detect a few references to their necessarily eclectic ideal library, made up of children’s books, comic strips and serious books on philosophy, geography, history and art. In contrast to academic categorization, Alexandre and Florentine Lamarche-Ovize are committed to breaking down the hierarchy of genres and techniques, and questioning the criteria of good taste. In their eyes, there is no such thing as “major” or “minor” art, and no clear dividing line between the two. On the contrary, everything converges and hybridizes – drawing, ceramics, textiles, etc. – in the service of their stories. – in the service of their stories.

Each of Alexandre & Florentine Lamarche-Ovize’s exhibitions is conceived like a little theater of the world, complete with sets, costumed characters, curtains and staging effects. Spectacular, yes! Superbly, but without arrogance! The artists are not far from believing that art, like the dog (which they have made a fetish subject), is man’s best friend.

Guided tours Sundays, July 2 and August 6, 11 a.m.

Publication of Cahiers de l’abbaye Sainte-Croix n° 140 to coincide with the exhibition