Constellations
2015 – 2025

Everything we do is music.
John Cage

The artistic work carried out with the talents of L’Aubier at the Royal Institute for the Deaf and Blind (IRSA – Brussels) is, above all, a meeting—one that continued through various projects over a ten-year period.
To paraphrase the poet Henri Michaux, rhythm is the only thing we have in common with the world around us. This project seeks to reconnect with that idea by taking the time to capture singular rhythms and interweave them like cartographies.
The title Constellations refers both to the pointillist technique used—evoking stellar constellations—and to the constellation of collaborations that shaped this project over the course of ten years.

The different Constellations-related projects have been the subject of several exhibitions and residencies in various museums and institutions (L’Escaut Residency – Brussels, Art et Marges – Brussels, Le Delta in Namur, the Casino – Forum of Contemporary Art in Luxembourg, Magritte du Cinéma, …).

Below is a 5-minute video presenting one of the projects developed in collaboration with L’Aubier at IRSA – Brussels (subtitles available via YouTube settings).
With the collaboration of Didier Goetghebuer, André Gorgan, Jean Herinckx, Rudy Moren, Daniel Timson and Céline Todoroff – With the support of Eric Heyters and Pascale Deneyer.
Musicians: Catherine Graindorge and Angelo Moustapha. Directed by Elie Rabinovitch. Production and coordination by Julie Nicod.

Residencies carried out as part of the research for the CONSTELLATIONS project.

2020 PROGRESSION 
Interplay and musical improvisations with drawing, together with musicians G. Frisch and V. Kraus.
Residency by invitation of artist Patrick Muller as part of his exhibition SITTING FOR DECADES (a reinterpretation of Alvin Lucier’s major work I am sitting in a room) – Casino – Forum of Contemporary Art, Luxembourg – Curator: Kevin Muhlen.
Photographs by Emile Henge

2019 – Residency and research carried out as part of the 30th anniversary of L’ESCAUT – Olivier Bastin (coord. Tara D’Arquian), together with Francis Alÿs, Edith Dekyndt and Denis Pondruel. With regular visits to the astrophysics department of the Royal Observatory of Uccle.

What happens when we lose all points of reference? 

A photograph of stars without any reference points loses its “usefulness,” since it can no longer be located and no longer provides information. It becomes an abstract object. And yet, it remains fascinating. Perhaps this is because we maintain a close relationship with the cosmos? 

As Paul Murdin (Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge) writes:
“The chemical elements present on Earth were born from the creation and destruction of stars. The carbon and oxygen in our flesh, the iron in our blood, the phosphorus, the sodium in our brain cells appeared with the creation of stars even before the birth of our Sun: human beings are literally and fundamentally made of stardust.” 

And ultimately, what is a reference point if it is not in relation to another?