ArchitectureFine ArtMinimalismPhotography

Nowhere by Xavier Blondeau

The Nowhere series by Xavier Blondeau is first and foremost an urban story. An underground story where the absence of landmarks leads us to feel the emptiness that gradually settles between us. The underground car parks then become silent witness to this extravagant and teeming city life. They represent our share of intimacy as well as our inability to integrate into the city. They constitute a crossing point, a place where lives intersect and uncross.

Nowhere is also about loneliness. These empty places underline their own uselessness. Our gaze becomes lost in this disturbing space. The void clamors for more void like a deep and dull breath. Each line drawn on the ground, each light hanging on the wall, seems to answer our questions. The concrete posts attempt to separate the underground firmaments, punctuating the floors like so many invisible worlds. These underground car parks then become the only witness to our passage.

These underground places which, when evening descends, become void of all human presence...

While on a series of trips to discover the immensity of barren lands, Xavier Blondeau starts wondering about the place of the individual in his environment. Turning to photography is his way of giving substance to his questioning. In 2009, he picks up this photographic work revolving around the individual, which he carries out in addition to his day job as researcher-lecturer.

Through his photographic series he is looking for increasingly intimate answers. His approach remains instinctual -although he has relented and now better structures his work- while leaning toward a highly pared down kind of aesthetics. He is driven by emotion only, and this is how he navigates between abstraction, where he explores intimacy, and a very graphic kind of representation, in order to anchor this fantasy†in reality. His photographs always shroud the scene in uncertainty, thus encouraging viewers to come up with their own interpretation of the photographer is response to his own questioning.

Xavier Blondeau has been very active on the art scene since 2011 and he regularly exhibits his work. His innermost thoughts slowly emerge with each new series of photographs.

Main exhibitions

Courcelles Art Contemporain Gallery, Paris, France (2020); Lille Art’UP, Lille, France (2020); Tokyo International Foto Awards, Okinaya, Japan (2020); MIA Photo Fair, Milan, Italie (2019); Lille Art’UP, Lille, France (2019); Tokyo International Foto Awards, Tokyo, Japon (2019); Praxis Gallery, Minneapolis, USA (2018); Fotovefer, Paris, France (2018); Barcelona International Photography Awards, Barcelone, Espagne (2018); SE Center Photography, Greenville, USA (2018); L’Angle Gallery, Hendaye, France (2018); Fotovefer, Paris, France (2017); Courcelles Art Contemporain Gallery, Paris, France (2017); Manifestation d’Art Contemporain Mac2000, Paris, France (2017); Str'Off, Strasbourg, France (2016); Réalités Nouvelles, Vincennes, France (2016); Puls’Art, Le Mans, France (2016); Blankwall Gallery, Athène, Grece (2016); Hors-Champs Gallery, Paris, France (2016); Delta National Small Prints Exhibition, Jonesboro, USA (2015); Mois de la Photo of, Paris, France (2014); International Juried Competition, Los Angeles, USA (2014); Manifestation d’Art Contemporain Mac2000, Paris, France (2014); Phot'Aix Regards Croisés, Aix en Provence, France (2014); Parcours de l'Art, Avignon, France (2014); International PrintBiennale, Newcastle, Angleterre (2014); Puls’Art, Le Mans, France (2014); International Art Expo, Bari, Italie (2014); Balt’Art Art Contemporain, Nogent, France (2013); Biennale Internationale d’Art Contemporain, Sarrias, Espagne (2013); Biennale Européenne d’Art Contemporain, Nîmes, France (2013).

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