Racca Vammerisse
Crédit photographique: Jean-pierre Paringaux, Déreliction Céramiques émaillées polychrome
Born in 1987. Lives and works between Nice, Monaco, Menton and Vallauris.
After obtaining his DNSEP in Art and Scenography at ESAP-Pavillon Bosio, Monaco in 2012, he exhibited his sculpture work in Lyon, Roubaix, Vallauris, Monaco, Nice, Menton. In 2016 he joined Le Logoscope - Research and creation laboratory in Monaco where he participated in the Moines Kaolin research and creation program which he launched with Agnès Roux in 2018. Since 2020, he has been in creation residency at the EACV (school of ceramic art of Vallauris).
Crédit photographique: Jean-pierre Paringaux, vue d’exposition « La tentation de l’équilibre » Galerie Espace à Vendre, Nice
His preferred medium is earth. She is at the service of her various sculpture projects. It also imposes a rhythm, a resistance through its own characteristics. He then embodies the figure of the demiurge and frees the field of possibilities by developing a singular universe modeled by uncertainty, between vertigo and faith.
Crédit photographique: Yannick Cosso, Immarcescibilis, Céramiques émaillées polychrome, pièce présentée à la 26ème édition de la Biennale de Vallauris
He thus constructs a dreamlike universe on the edge of reality, relying on power relationships, with others and with the world. His operating methods question art in its capacity to cultivate stories which range from founding myths - those of our collective memory - to those which translate intimate memories - our personal mythologies .
Crédit photographique: Yannick Cosso, Self Control 2, détail, Céramiques émaillées polychrome
Interview with Racca Vammerisse, young French artist selected for the 26th International Biennale of Vallauris, from July 6 to September 30, 2024 at the Magnelli Museum
Crédit photographique : Jean-Pierre Paringaux, vue d'exposition "la lueur ignée, artisanat des flammes", EACV Vallauris
What does this selection at the 26th Vallauris Biennale represent for you?
Being selected for the 26th Vallauris Biennale represents an important step for me. I had already had the honor of exhibiting at the 24th edition in 2016 with a series of wall pieces “Dans la maw du loup”. This year, I was selected with large-scale works, which marks real progress in my career. The ceramics presented this time question the scale of the body, the aesthetic notion of taste and the strangeness of the shapes that I shape. They were created during my artist residency at the Vallauris School of Ceramic Art (EACV). Furthermore, my exit from residency almost coincides with the start of the Biennale, with the exhibition “The igneous glow, craftsmanship of flames” which will reveal my work from June 27.
Crédit photographique: Yannick Cosso, Crotale, de la série Psycho freaks, Céramique murale émaillée polychrome
How did it take place? Composition of the jury? Number of detainees?
The jury was made up of professionals from the world of ceramics and art. Out of 197 applications, 25 artists representing 14 nationalities were selected among the 428 works proposed. The jury included Caroline Andrin (artist), Yamina Benaï (founder and editorial director of the Revue GESTE/S), Judith Cernogora (heritage curator, responsible for the contemporary ceramic collections at Sèvres - National Manufacture and Museum), Michel Blachère (Galerie XXI) and Johan Creten (artist). The selection reflects the diversity of sensibilities in the contemporary ceramic landscape.
What are the issues? Fears ? Expectations ?
The challenges of this biennial are numerous and significant. First of all, for me it is about confirming my place in the world of contemporary ceramics, a constantly evolving and very competitive field. Participating in such an event allows me to present my work to a larger and more diverse audience. My expectations are multiple: I hope to establish new professional opportunities and engage in enriching dialogues with other artists and professionals in the field. This biennial is also an opportunity to see how my work is perceived by an international audience. Reactions and constructive criticism from the public and experts will allow me to refine and evolve in my artistic practice, exploring new directions and pushing the limits of my art.
Crédit photographique: Yannick Cosso, Gloomy Bottle, Céramique émaillée polychrome, pièce présentée à la 26ème édition de la Biennale de Vallauris
Can you tell us about the pieces presented?
I fuse historical and contemporary influences to reinvent classic forms with a unique decorative aesthetic. My visual work explores themes such as life, death and the human condition, with a touch of sharp humor.
The piece “Gloomy Bottle” defies gravity and reinterprets a classic form. As Duchamp said, the title adds a dimension to the work, evoking the emptiness of gigantism. This bottle, described as "gloomy", symbolizes the asymmetrical struggles between power and resistance. It imposes itself as a “Götterdämmerung”, a twilight of idols according to Nietzsche, confronting matter with the virtual.
“Immarcescibilis” presents a plant structure with five petals, a bulb and a corolla, symbolizing an ithyphallic desire to flower and take root. The material, alternating between smooth, rough, shiny and matte, has an encrusted white tint, evoking ossicles in the skin. This strange shift leads to an alchemical transmutation, where the piece blooms like the materialization of an anthropophagic flower, a primitive and persistent image.
Do they have particularities, specificities that those previously presented at your exhibition at the space for sale in Nice did not have?
The pieces presented at the exhibition "The attempt at balance" at the Espace à Vendre in Nice (May 4 - June 15) participated in a ten-year retrospective of my work in earth sculpture, offering a view of together on the evolution of my artistic journey. These works reflected my first explorations and the different phases of my artistic development. On the other hand, the works that I present at the Biennale are more recent and represent a new chapter in my work. They demonstrate the evolution of my practice, with a more in-depth exploration of techniques and materials. These pieces integrate new dimensions, such as the interaction between form and space, and pose more complex and contemporary questions. For example, they more directly question the relationship between the work and the viewer's body, as well as the themes of metamorphosis and materiality.
What prospects do you envisage for post-selection?
After this selection, I plan to continue developing my artistic practice by participating in other residencies and international exhibitions. I will also participate in January 2025, with my gallery « Espace à Vendre « at the Brussels 2025 fair, which will present a selection of my work.
I am particularly interested in collaborative projects that would allow me to combine different disciplines and create interdisciplinary works.
In short, I see this selection as a springboard towards a period of intense creativity and professional growth.
Crédit photographique: Yannick Cosso, Portrait, au Logoscope, Laboratoire de recherches et de création
ROYAL ARTS VISIONS; Racca Vammerisse