At the origin of a new wave of artistic wastelands implanted in warehouses, factories and other disused open spaces awaiting reconversion, Poush has traded its office tower in Clichy (in the Hauts-de-Seine), occupied since February 2020 by 120 young artists, for a former perfume factory in Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis). At the heart of this hive of artists, a huge hall topped by a dome pierced by bays flooding the place with light : a dream exhibition stage that will be “for visual artists the opportunity to experiment with new collaborations, to dialogue with other disciplines – dance, performance, music – [and for curators] the possibility of imagining even more impactful programming, monumental works and a place of exhibition open to artists of the French and international scene,” explains Yvannoé Kruger, artistic director of the place, whose beautiful inaugural exhibition, “Echoes of a distant time arrive whistling on the sand” (to be seen until August 19).
Now supported by the Association pour le Développement des Lieux de Création Artistique (ADLCA) created in June 2021 by Hervé Digne and Laure Colliex, the founders of Manifesto (another association developing innovative projects to support artists at the origin of the creation of POUSH in 2020), this temporary “artistic campus” transforming an industrial heritage site into a multidisciplinary creation and exhibition space is a fine example of the transitional urbanism of the Greater Paris area in full development.
In addition to the attractive price of the workshops (adapted to all practices), the occupants of the place (selected by a call for applications) benefit from an artistic and production support program, administrative and legal support, and above all, a great visibility, especially during the professional days.
“I see POUSH as an international café, where you can meet people from all over the world, people with different disciplines, a place where everyone speaks the same language [? I see POUSH as an international café where you can meet people from all over the world, people with different disciplines, a place where everyone speaks the same language […], a kind of village where all the buildings are connected by footbridges, which facilitates access to the studios and contact between artists,” said painter Dhewadi Hadjab, a new recruit to the Kamel Mennour gallery and a recent graduate of the École des Beaux-Arts, who was featured in our last issue, as well as his studio neighbor Arnaud Adami, another rising star of the new photographic-realism painting.
POUSH
153, avenue Jean-Jaurès, Aubervilliers
www.poush.fr
www.manifesto.fr
STÉPHANIE DULOUT