Caroline Corbasson is the one who observes the infinite and makes us see the invisible. Whether large or microscopic, this “infinitely” nourishes the imagination of this French artist born in Saint-Étienne in 1989. Video, sculptures, drawings, she loves nothing more than creating a dialogue between supports, materials, universe... No compartmentalization for this artist, passionate about science (astronomy, astrophysics, geology, botany, etc.) and reader of poetry who has been inspired by the great outdoors since early childhood. Caroline Corbasson grew up in Canada and then the United States, fascinated as a child by the beauty and hostility of their off-scale nature. With a predisposition to look up to the sky and observe the cosmos since she is the granddaughter of an optical engineer who notably worked for NASA.

©Andrea Montano

Trained at the Saint-Martin School in London, the versatile visual artist immersed herself for good in the cosmos by discovering, as a student at the Beaux-Arts in Paris, the astronomy encyclopedias kept in the library of the art school. His first works speak of stardust. Once she graduated, the institutions that supported her were among the most scientifically renowned: CNRS, Marseille Astrophysics Laboratory, CNES, Paranal Observatory in Chile, École Polytechnique de Lausanne. Presented in France and internationally, his drawings, photographs, sculptures, paintings and films have sometimes evoked this border impossible to cross by the human eye, beyond which we no longer see, despite the progress of technologies and the he invention of ever more efficient astronomical instruments, thereby inviting us to go beyond our anthropocentric perceptions.

©Gregory Copitet

The place of man in the universe, or rather his absence in this void, is always implicitly questioned. Recently, the one whose enlightened work reminds us of the quest of the American artist James Turell has made a return to earth - if one can say so - by putting the observation of humans at the heart of her practice. Her new creation "Isaac", a short fiction film shot near the Pic du Midi Astronomical Observatory, will be shown this fall as part of the "New Worlds" program of the Ministry of Culture for which she was a laureate. Before flying to the land of the Rising Sun to draw the outlines of her next project.

©Andrea Montano

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Modern and contemporary art: de Hilma Af Klint to Francis Alÿs

A thousand times Hilma Af Klint! A pioneer of abstract art, this Swedish artist (1862 – 1944) is an inexhaustible source whose work nourishes me, inspires me, guides me. To delve into his work there is a superb catalog raisonné in seven volumes (!) published by Thames Hudson. The exhibition “The Nature of the Game” by Francis Alÿs is on display until January 7, 2024 in Brussels at the Wiels art center. It is of great strength. It simply made me cry because it was so beautiful. The documentary aspect of his work and the humility that emanates from it touch me. I also think of the poems written in pencil that the contemporary artist Ugo Rondinone publishes on Instagram. By turns light as air, serious or funny, they are always of great delicacy.

Cinema: de “Anatomy of a Fall” to “Aftersun”

As soon as it was released, I saw “Anatomy of a Fall” by Justine Triet and recently “Aftersun” by Charlotte Wells. A must see. They are both wonderfully written. These are two directors that I admire and who give me the desire and the courage to pursue my desire to make films.

Literature and poetry: de Kae Tempest to Edouard Louis

This summer I didn't go on vacation much so I traveled through these works that particularly touched me, accompanied me. First "Let them eat chaos" by Kae Tempest discovered through her music and whose strength immediately seized me. It was then a bit by chance that I came across her books in the poetry section of the bookstore. She is one of the artists with whom I felt instantly connected. I recommend the bilingual version published by l'Arche. In poetry, I also like "Night Sky with Exit Wounds" by Ocean Vuong, a genius of my generation, whom I admire enormously and with whom I would love to collaborate one day. I have just started his "Time is a Mother". I add to my pantheon the extraordinary Etel Adnan and her collections "Time", "Seasons", "Sea and Fog", "Night"... Her painting led me to discover her poetry. I always have her collections close to me. I also think of "Scenes from a Marriage" by Ingmar Bergmann (and the two brilliant series that came from it, the original and the revival). I had already liked the series but the book is a masterpiece. Finally, Edouard Louis with his "Who Killed My Father" as well as "Changer: Method". These two books make me want to read all his other books. Heartbreaking and essential, they really shook me up this summer, and continue to haunt me. I finish with Robert Bresson and his "Notes on Cinematography" which I regularly open at the moment and which I recommend to all those who make or want to make films.

Concert and album: de Brad Mehldau in Lana del Rey

I had the chance to see Brad Mehldau in concert in Montreal in June. He moved me a lot with his presence: he seems to be infinitely there and infinitely elsewhere when he plays. I love his song “Ode”. I listened to Prefab Sprout's song “Trawl the megahertz” on repeat all summer as well as Billie Eilish and her sublime melancholy album “Happier than ever”. Finally, I am a fan of the magnificent collection album “Violet bent backwards over the grass” by Lana del Rey, an artist that I love infinitely for her rare sincerity and authenticity.