ARTISTS TALKING

# 1 [29 September 2007]

I arrived at L’H du Siega on Saturday the 15th of September 2007, by car. It seemed easier at the time, I was packing and bringing most of my belongings and preparing for three month being away from home. It was very easy to get here, a drive from Brighton to Dover, then a nice easy ride on the ferry to Dunkerque, and then 1 – 2 drive to Valenciennes. Everything was fine until we (me and my partner) got back into the car and started to drive on the opposite side of the road. Got very nervous but in fact the drive was very easy, until we got to Valenciennes, where we got lost and couldn’t find the Gallery and this is when the panic button hit in.
After some time we managed to find the Gallery and we met with the Director and president of the Association, Philippe Bétrancourt and the cultural mediator Adeline Michel. Adeline is my saver really, is the only person that I can have a conversation with, with out having to look at my dictionary every second.

After all the formalities and inductions I got settled into a beautiful small house. On the ground floor there is the living area with small kitchen, bathroom and sleeping/living space and upstairs very nice bright studio space, plus I’ve been allocated another large situated the Gallery. All this can be seen on the website: www.hdusiege.org - residences – Présentation.

L’H du Siege is founded by Acte de Naissance in 1996 and is housed in a former joinery in Valenciennes. The space comprises a gallery, artist’s workshops and a livework studio for artists in residency. They are dedicated to the development and promotion of contemporary art and the support of artist through a programme of exhibitions and residencies.

# 2 [2 October 2007]

Valenciennes is a town in northern France. In the 9th century the region was run by the Normans and in 1008 was badly effected by the Plague. In the 15th century the city was economically independent with manufacturers of wool and fine linens. Valenciennes is historically renowned for its lace. Until the 1970s, the main industries were steel and textiles, but since their decline, there is mainly automobile production. In 2001, Toyota built its Western European assembly line for the Toyota Yaris in Valenciennes.

As I began my research I started to look at how and draw ideas from the lace production. I found an old traditional school, the only one in the region, called Dentelle de Valenciennes, (www.dentellieres.com) which I am going to visit this afternoon and will tell you more in my next post.

I also started researching food specialities of the region and traditional dishes. Became fascinated by the butchers and the production of the selection of they meat and products that French people eat!

I bought some samples to experiment with such as tripe, offal, intestines and Caul Fat, or as the French would say ‘CRÉPINE’, sounds like a pancake, something nice!

Intestines are the most disgusting things I ever had to clean so far in my life, smell’s awful, and has an ‘interesting texture! At the moment they are drying in my studio space and the smell is getting worse by the minute. I am being taken to a slaughter house this afternoon to see and perhaps get some more samples, so I will tell you more about it tomorrow….

# 3 [4 October 2007]

Sorry about the short delay in getting back with my news. The Tuesday afternoon wasn’t a good day, we got to the slaughter house very late and there was just the secretary and the top director left in the office and it wasn’t a nice experience, they where very unfriendly and very unhelpful!!!

But this didn’t put me of I went back the next morning and with a translation and the help of Adeline and Bernard- the technician, managed to find a very friendly butcher who will be helping me source the material for a very small price, ad list I hope so. We even where taken inside, and that was an amazing experience a huge walk in fridges full with hanged caws, but sorry no pictures where permitted.

The last two days here have been bit of a madness, trying to do anything here takes double amount of time, and is so hard to find anything, such as materials, products etc. I found that the web is not as good as in the UK, I think we are bit spoiled when it comes to researching and trying to buy products on line. Maybe this is also because I am doing a search in English not in French… but got so bad that I have to call companies in England to get any relevant information, specially when it comes to Taxidermy and tanning products.

# 4 [11 October 2007]

Thursday morning

I am waiting to go back to the Slaughter House; the butcher has called yesterday to say that he has all my ‘Crepines’ so I am going to collect them.

I just got back last night from the UK. It was so frustrating trying to find all the tanning solutions and chemicals that I decide it to go back to the UK to buy them. But one thing I didn’t know and wasn’t aware that there was and still is a postal strike. So had to come back still with no chemical. I am so hoping that they will arrive by Friday that my partner who is coming by car can bring them over on Saturday. So will see….

# 5 [15 October 2007]

I have my material now but still no chemicals…. Very interesting exhibition: www.lefresnoy.net is in different locations around the region.

# 6 [18 October 2007]

I have an open studio so if anyone is in the area please pop in.

A l'occasion de la 10ème édition des Journées Portes Ouvertes des Ateliers d'Artistes

L'association Acte de Naissance vous convie à la Galerie-Ateliers L'H du Siège.


Les Vendredi 19 octobre de 14h30 à 18h30
et les Samedi 20 et Dimanche 21 octobre 2007 de 10h à 12h et de 14h30 à 18h30.


_ Les artistes
Sylvie HOURIEZ
Frédéric MESSAGER
& Pascal PESEZ
vous invitent à venir découvrir leurs ateliers.



_ Invité par l'association Acte de Naissance
l'artiste Elpida HADZI-VASILEVA
actuellement en résidence à L'H du Siège,
( www.elpihv.co.uk)

# 7 [22 October 2007]

Don’t know where time is going but days seem to be flying by. I’ve been here now for over a month and still struggling with my French, I guess you can’t learn that fast.... I have started to make some improvement with getting materials though and started to make some good contacts in the Slaughter House.
I got my chemicals ad last today, at the end I had to make a second order to be delivered from the UK – France. They where collected from customs office with not much of a problem. Which is very interesting, as here in France I couldn’t even buy some, actually they said I can only buy maximum of 15gr and I need kilograms not a grams. Apparently aluminum Sulphate Powder is what I am using to preserve the organs is used in bomb making, so they are very careful and don’t sell it in large quantities. But I hope is not going to be to late for my organs as some of the tripe has started to turn, smells of a rotten meat, but I am still giving a try and hoping that the chemicals will reverse the process.

The studio open went well, was not as busy as I thought might be. I felt little bit as a circus girl everyone came to see the tripe and the caul fat, looks like the word has been spreading around and they came to meet the wired English artist.
This made me also over of how actually small the town is.

I went to visit the Dentelle de Valenciennes, the lace school and had a very pleasant experience. The main teacher was very friendly and chatty and told me all about the history of Dentelle and offered many designs to look at and some photocopies to take away so I can develop my drawings. The ladies even gave me some of they little tools as a souvenir to keep. Making of lace is such a delicate and intricate work.

# 8 [26 October 2007]

I am having a much more productive day today. I’ve cleaned the last tripe skin and they are all in the alum mix now soaking and preserving, (fingers cross) I had a meeting ad last with a manufacturer about a metal structure for my work so, he’s taken my model and will get back to me beginning of next week with a price and will see.

Apart from that here is very cold, damp and quiet today and not much happening.

# 9 [29 October 2007]

I went to visit a Museum in Belgium, not far from Valenciennes about 30 min by car. It was called Musee des Arts Contemporains in Site du Grand-Hornu. I was taken by the architecture of the place, an amazing space, if ever in the area you have to check it out: www.mac-s.be
At the moment they are hosting an exhibition from the collection of the Museum in Lille, which is apparently closed at the present for renovation. The exhibition was very good as well but the space was incredible. It is a historical site, erected in 1810, and used for many purposes such as mining industry, a residence for the factory workers and administrators and train – carriages repairs....

# 10 [31 October 2007]

At last I went to visit the metal factory, Delos in St Amand near Valenciennes, which is on the way to Lille. The meeting didn’t go very well, wasn’t what was I expecting to be. I thought today I would have an answer if they can make the structure, a price and a better idea of what and how to pursue with my work. But instead there were many an answered questions and the usual we will let you know next week???
At the beginning of the meeting they showed me my model, which was fully smashed and everyone found it amusing and apparently someone had sat on it and everybody laughed.

The price they suggested was very high and completely out of my budget, so after a long discussion and negotiation they said will think about it and get back to me next week and they assured me that they will do everything they can to help me.

Today I really had enough with this tomorrow and next week attitude, which has been happening quite a lot.

Today, also with the help of Pascal, had a fun trying to find a place to hire a pro-video camera. On the 13th of November I have a visit to the Valenciennes sewage, which also took few weeks to organise. I would like use this opportunity to make a work about my experience bellow Valenciennes, and hopefully I will have enought time to edit and finish the work and show it at the exhibition in January.

The rest of the day I was in my studio working which was much more relaxing and fun. I had a such a mad day and just had to shat the door and put my head to work.