Martine Feipel and Jean Bechameil are Luxembourg-based artists whose grand, architectural works are captivating compositions of sculptural and architectural matter which distorts our perceptions of time and space and challenges our notions of what’s real. The artists spoke with NOTOFU about their work and creative process.
What five words best describe your work?
Deconstruction, uncertainty, melancholy, intemporality, playfulness.
Your work directly challenges perceptions of space. Would you say it’s a rebellion or a more tacit acknowledgment?
Both of us have always had a strong fascination with unusual, hidden or unexpected spaces. There is a desire to always push the boundaries of a space, which we try to translate into our work. We do see it as more of a rebellion, a way of struggling agains the structures within which spaces are captured. It’s a way of opening up or breaking apart a structure—a de-construction of sorts—in order to open up new segments of spaces hidden within. A carpenter we worked with once told us that what we are asking of him to do is anti-carpentery. But somehow it’s true, it’s a way of resisting conventional thinking.
You heavily feature a mixture of surrealism and architecture, and create compositions that are complex, but unexpected. Is this surrealist element a commentary on the transience of time and the spaces we inhabit?
There is a lot of meaning given to the notions of time and space. The surrealist aspect of our work, to me, is not really an intention, but it is more a result of twisting existing grids upside down with the aim of defying them. We have a very personal approach to each work and each one tells a very personal story. For each work we take into consideration the context within which it will evolve and we put the given notions of space, time and sense into perspective in order to express something meaningful to us. It’s almost like giving emotions, memory, meaning, doubts to spaces. By shifting notions of time and space we try to speak about some personal experiences in a way that everybody can relate.
There is a desire to always push the boundaries of a space.
How do you two work together—Do you bounce ideas off each other or is the work more structured and organic?
Whenever we plan a new project, we discuss it over an extensive period of time, so that, little by little, it defines itself. We often start from ideas and visions that the space evokes in us—they are related to its architecture, history and significance. We then discuss, reject and develop our point of view until we get to what we believe to be the essence of it. Once the outlines are set, the drawings help us in defining the project and playing around with it. Martine does the drawing part but ideas evolve together and then we go and execute it together.
Some of your installations seem quite elaborate. Do you two do all of the work that goes into assembling the pieces?
We make most of our work in our studio. When we engage in big installations, we do have assistants helping us on some of the more complex or specialized activities such as molding. This means that, sometimes, we can grow into a team of 5-7 people.
Which dead or currently living artists inspire you?
Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Jorge Luis Borges, Gordon Matta Clark, Vilhelm Hammershoi, Eshel Meir called Absalon—unfortunatly they are all dead.
