Salomé: We are the two visual artists behind this project. I do video, painting, drawing, sculpture, etc. Right now, I’m working on an installation consisting of a hundred oyster pussies in ceramic. My practice varies depending on what I want to talk about. The ugly, the unwatchable fascinate me. I am very influenced by the work of Kenneth Anger, Cindy Sherman, Jack Smith, etc.
Jean Samuel: I work a lot on sculpture, installation and drawing. My art is fed by the children’s world. I rework contemporary frescoes with toys that I create myself or that I reinterpret. Behind every childish installation, there is a reflection on ourselves. My main influences are Gerhard Richter, Joseph Beuys, Marcel Duchamp, and Jerôme Bosch, among others.

Everything was done naturally. After having spent three years in London, we came back to Paris and were looking for a studio where we could work. Being able to create a space where the knowledge of others is shared and transmitted is what we really wanted to achieve. In the beginning, we were three artists (Salomé, Jean Samuel and Damien Moulierac), but the team has grown, and now it’s ten of us – a group composed of all kind of creative talents (visual artists, fashion designers, and special effect designers). And things have been done as word of mouth. Friends of friends introduced us to artists, and that’s how Atelier de Paname was born. 

There are, among others: Arthur Avellano, a fashion designer who works with latex; Damien Moulierac, a sculptor and draftsman; or Mounir Ayache, who is building a flight simulator – coming soon!

We organized the Biennale de Paname because we had a real desire to present the worlds of artists who were not represented anywhere else until now. We have an extremely talented generation around us, with very sharp reflections and works that speak to everyone. We also wanted to create the Biennale de Paname for a new audience who was still frightened by museums, galleries and other classic art places or institutions.
The event is free for all visitors – this point was particularly important to us. When we came back from London, we wanted to bring back with us a new vision of contemporary art and wanted to create an event by artists for all audiences. In London, we saw how young artists organized their own events and started different initiatives under their own vision. So when we came back, we wanted to do the same in Paris.

The Biennale de Paname is going to feature the work of fifteen visuals artists:  Bianca Argimon, Arthur Avellano, Mounir Ayache, Jeanne Briand, Apolinaria Broche, Marc Aurèle Debut, Regina Demina, Margaux Esclapez, Martin Ferniot, Jean Samuel Halifi, Octave Marsal, Damien Moulierac, Leo Nataf, Salomé Partouche, and Andrea Picci.
It is a hybrid event that shares the atmosphere of our studio while respecting the DNA of the Biennale de Paname. The artists will present works (sometimes under study) that will be completed for the Biennale of Paname edition 2. It is also a way for the public to witness and follow the artists in their creative processes. As in the studio, you will interact with the works but also with the artists. It's as if they were receiving you at home.

The Creator Source is a brand new project we have developed with Adidas and other creative workshops. We had the idea to create an artistic incubator and to register Adidas as a real support of contemporary art. The idea is to reveal an artist to the general public by giving him or her the chance to exhibit his/her work at major events in Paris. The artist is also taken in residence at the Atelier de Paname to realize his/her project and to be in contact with other artists.

Damien Moulierac, artist and long friend and one of the founders of Paname studio, oversees the selection of our exhibitions. All the artists we select are young creatives with whom we studied or met at open studios. We have the advantage of having studied in France and in London, which allows us to have a wide range of artists coming from all Europe.

The challenge was really to create an event, to organise the logistics and manage the production. We are all artists, so we had to start making things we never did before such as marketing and graphic communication, but it allowed us to create an event that really reflects who we are. Now, we want to continue this adventure and succeed on a long-term basis. 

In Paris, nowadays, it’s very difficult to be spotted by a gallery or any other classic institution. We’ve been seeing the same things everywhere for some years now, which is also one of the reasons that made us want to create this event.

Take risks and not be where you are expected.

To continue all together and export our project worldwide: Asia, South America, Europe, etc. Anywhere!

At the Biennale de Paname edition 5.