For her last exhibition in Lemme, curator Josiane Imhasly invited musician, video artist and activist Richard Jean. Not only does he live in the immediate vicinity of the concrete block, he is also one of the biggest admirers of Pierre Vadi’s sculpture (not least because of its cube shape). When asked what it is like to exhibit art within art (i.e. his own works within Vadi’s piece of art), he would perhaps answer, borrowing from the philosopher Gregory Bateson: The exhibition Trous Noirs (Black Holes) is read in relation to Lemme and Lemme defines what is shown in it and this in turn defines Lemme. In his exhibition Trous Noirs, Jean interweaves various references to art and religion and emphasizes – also with Bateson – the importance of art (and religion) for life and their capacity(ies) to grasp the world on a level that is not accessible to language and mental processes.
Richard Jean was born in 1951 in Sion, a district of “Wallais” in the Swiss Alps. Initially active in (electronic) rock music as an autodidact, he soon became fascinated by the more complex world of jazz improvisation. Since 1982, he has been creating and organizing concerts and exhibitions in the Rhone Valley with the orchestra/collective L’œil & L’oreille, creating unique encounters in often unusual places. Jean has taken part in numerous concerts, exhibitions and festivals in Valais and Switzerland. In 2015, Jean realized an installation in the Jesuit Church in Sion. Its documentation plays a central role in the installation Trous Noirs in Lemme. In 2017, he was awarded the Special Prize of the Canton of Valais for his commitment to the independent art scene. Today, at the age of 72, he continues his journey through the forest of the arts, orienting himself by the stars where chaos lives.
Translated with DeepL