Thaddaeus Ropac’s Pantin gallery built in a former factory. With Antony Gormley’s “Giant” in front. Definitely a place to see.

Charming Thaddaeus Ropac is a visonaire. He was one of the first in Paris to move to Pantin, a suburb north of the new Philarmonie concert hall, and now Chanel and Hermès have followed with their workshops, creating a hub in this poor neighborhood. Last Friday, he was having the « Tout Paris » for dinner, in honor of Jean Marc Bustamante, a brilliant photographer turned painter, and now the director of Ecole des Beaux Arts. His new work uses lightjet on silver paper that he enlarges. The effect is very decorative. (until March 5th)

The cherry on the cake was the opening of « Jeune Création », a small fair dedicated to young artists. And guess where I headed fast !

Jean Marc Bustamante’s new work, Aperture VIII

Among the 59  International artists, I spotted four that I really loved. Capucine Vandebrouck, lives and works in Strasbourg. Her work « Efflorescences sur socle », 2015, made of cotton canvas dipped in hot water and sodium borax, on a wooden base, is very efficient.

Capucine Vandebrouck, “Efflorescences”, and in the back “La Mémoire de l’eau, photogramme de buée”

The sculptures are presented with a photogram of steam on the wall. Her earlier cristalisations are also very dramatic.

And so are thirty year old Emilie Duserre‘s magical

Emilie Duserre, “Soak”, sculptures made  of white plaster dipped in diluted ink

plaster sculptures dipped in diluted ink called “Soak”. The artist, who studied at Rouen Beaux Arts school, was in residence at the Tatsuno Art Project near Osaka and has traveled to Estonia. Her sculptures are made of broken construction plaster, and presented with a drawing “Tracé” on the wall.

British artist Gregory Mc Grew makes mysterious videos of « mental » chess boards and was selected as one of the focus artists of the fair. Jennifer May Reiland, from New York, is a painter and focuses on cities.

Gregory Mc Grew captures 3D images and creates a fictional world

Self-Portrait as Mary Magdalene Having a Vision of the Apocalypse II, Jennifer May Reiland

Whether they specialize in 3D or in comic drawings these young artists are all dedicated and fun to speak to.
And they all seem to use a gmail address with just their name. Easy to reach (until January 24, 69 ave du Général Leclerc, Pantin).