Une cosmogonie des océans
Josèfa Ntjam
LVMH Métiers d’Art | Paris, FR
Institutional
20.03.24 - 25.03.24Solo exhibition at LVMH Métiers d'art
Paris, FR
Une cosmogonie des océans is the result of Josèfa Ntjam’s participation in the LVMH Métiers d’Art residency, first established in 2015 to forge new links between artists and artisans. For a year, Ntjam collaborated with artisans from the Franco-Portuguese Jade Groupe, known for their savoir-faire in the design and production of metal parts and jewelry for luxury houses. The twelve sculptures in this exhibition—six of which have entered the permanent collection of LVMH—are informed by Central and West African mythology. They have only been revealed to the public once, during a five day exhibition organized by LVMH Paris in March of 2023.
Ntjam developed a series of characters for her residence, born from the artist’s earlier digital works, including films and installations, combining scientific research, socio-philosophical concepts, and mythologies with new technologies. Taken as a family of hybrid beings from some unspecified future time, these sculptures inhabit Ntjam’s fictional landscapes, somewhere between space and the oceans. They are interstellar, fluid, and move with the currents to share stories with us that have never been told.
The exhibition is accompanied by the monograph Mot Fleuves, published by RVB Books. The book is divided into two sections: one explores her sources of inspiration, while the other presents the works produced during her residency. An original text by Ntjam is also featured. The publication is available for purchase at the gallery and online here.