Mexico City
I am waiting for Apolonia. She should be arriving tonight.
She is mourning. Oksana, her lover, founder of Femen, killed herself.
A few days later, I find this poem by her on my desk :
âI arrived in Mexico, face all swollen
my eyes were hidden in fat and contouring
and my hair, brown hay
My hands were 3 times their size.
itâs been a rough year.
[…]
I arrived in Mexico, my face was swollen
my hands were huge as bear paws
I had gained 10 kg, probably because of the mourning, the drinking and the painting.
Painting is a difficult act, especially when it comes to oil. The toxic fumes make you high. The turpentine dissolves the oil, but Iâm pretty sure it dissolves everything around it as well.
I get acne, skin rashes, hair loss, hands bloating because of the allergies.
Painting is a difficult act, it takes you from the guts, you must do it, it decides for you. You might start going places you donât really want to go. For example, after a violent death you might begin painting the dead.
Itâs painful, it really is.
Painting people, is hard, especially if you desire them.
Painting people is hard especially when they are no longer here with us.
I arrived at Mexico airport, face all swollen, my eyes were buried in fat, and my heart was still dripping tears. There she was, Toni. She had left decadent cocaĂŻne Paris 4 years ago, gotten married to a handsome genius liberated Mexican fressa. Together they have decided to settle down somewhere that is very much like a Paradise. Toni is a force of nature, she is one of the priest-artist with a strength coming from above.
Toni was once Anthony. â
Suela Cennet, 2019
Mexico.
Jâattends Apolonia qui devrait arriver dans la nuit.
Elle est endeuillĂ©e. Oksana, son amour, fondatrice des Femen, sâest donnĂ©e la mort.
Quelques jours plus tard, je trouve sur mon bureau ce poĂšme en prose.
“Je suis arrivĂ©e Ă Mexico, le visage tout bouffi
mes yeux gonflés disparaissaient sous le maquillage
et mes cheveux, du foin brun
mes mains avaient triplé de volume.
çâa Ă©tĂ© une annĂ©e difficile.
[…]
Je suis arrivée à Mexico, mon visage était bouffi
mes mains Ă©taient grosses comme des pattes dâours
Jâavais pris dix kilos, probablement Ă cause du deuil, de lâalcool et de la peinture.
Peindre est un acte difficile, surtout quand il sâagit dâhuile. Les fumĂ©es toxiques vous font planer. La tĂ©rĂ©benthine dissout lâhuile, mais je suis presque sĂ»re quâelle dissout aussi tout ce qui lâentoure.
Jâai de lâacnĂ©, des Ă©ruptions cutanĂ©es, les mains gonflĂ©es Ă cause des allergies, je perds mes cheveux.
La peinture est un acte difficile, elle vous prend aux tripes, vous devez la faire, elle dĂ©cide pour vous. Vous pouvez commencer Ă explorer des endroits oĂč vous ne voulez pas vraiment aller. Par exemple, aprĂšs une mort violente, vous pouvez vous mettre Ă peindre les morts.
Câest douloureux, vraiment.
Peindre les gens, câest difficile, surtout si vous les dĂ©sirez.
Peindre les gens, câest difficile, surtout quand ils ne sont plus lĂ avec nous.
Je suis arrivĂ© Ă l’aĂ©roport de Mexico, le visage tumĂ©fiĂ©, les yeux enfouis dans la graisse, et le cĆur ruisselant encore de larmes. Elle Ă©tait lĂ , Toni. Elle avait quittĂ© le Paris cocaĂŻne et dĂ©cadent il y a 4 ans, sâĂ©tait mariĂ©e Ă un beau gĂ©nie libĂ©rĂ© de la fresa [quartier huppĂ©] de Mexico. Ensemble, ils ont dĂ©cidĂ© de sâinstaller dans un endroit qui ressemble beaucoup Ă un Paradis. Toni est une force de la nature, elle fait partie des prĂȘtres-artistes dont la force vient dâen haut.
Toni Ă©tait autrefois Anthony.”
Suela Cennet, 2019
Traduit de l’anglais par Elsa Maggion
Born in 1988 in Paris, Apolonia Sokol is a French figurative painter of Danish and Polish descent. After graduating from the Ăcole Nationale SupĂ©rieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris, she moved to the United States and settled in New York where she worked in Dan Colenâs studio. She later moved to Los Angeles where she befriended other artists and painters with whom she started an ongoing conversation on figurative painting.
Sokol is known for her political stance on the art of portraiture, claiming the need to use it as a tool of empowerment and deconstruction of marginalization and domination. That is why she addresses multiple issues such as feminisms, queerness, women’s representation throughout art history and body politics in general.
Apolonia Sokol exhibited her work in Copenhagen, Brussels, Paris, Istanbul, Mexico City, Rome, Los Angeles and her work has been included in institutional exhibitions, such as: Tainted Love / Club Edit at the Villa Arson in 2019 (curated by Yann Chevallier), Aux sources des annĂ©es 1980, at the MusĂ©e de lâAbbaye Sainte-Croix, Sables dâOlonne, in 2019 (curated by AmĂ©lie Adamo), Mademoiselle at the Crac Occitanie in 2018 (curated by Tara Londi), Tainted Love, inaugural exhibition at the Comfort Moderne in 2017 (curated by Yann Chevalier), Peindre, dit-elle at the MusĂ©e des Beaux-Arts in Dole in 2017 (curated by Julie Crenn).
Her recent institutional exhibitions include Possessed curated by Vincent Honoré at the MOCO Museum and Conversation Piece VII Verso Narragonia (Towards Narragonia) curated by Marcello Smarrelli at the Fondazione Memmo in Rome, Women Painting Women at The Modern, Forth Worth, Texas USA and Women in Arken Museum of Modern Art, Denmark.
In 2020, the artist was granted the prestigious Academy of France in Rome, enabling the artist to benefit from a one year residency at the Villa Medici.
NeÌe en 1988 aÌ Paris, Apolonia Sokol est une peintre figurative française d’origine danoise et polonaise. DiploÌmeÌe de l’EÌcole Nationale SupeÌrieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris, elle s’installe aux EÌtats-Unis, aÌ New York dâabord, ouÌ elle travaille dans l’atelier du peintre Dan Colen. L’artiste deÌmeÌnage ensuite aÌ Los Angeles ouÌ elle se lie d’amitieÌ avec d’autres plasticiens et peintres avec lesquels elle entame une conversation sur la peinture figurative.
Apolonia Sokol est connue pour son approche politique de l’art du portrait, affirmant la neÌcessiteÌ de l’utiliser comme un outil d’autonomisation et de deÌconstruction de la marginalisation ou de la domination. C’est pourquoi, elle aborde de multiples questions telles que les feÌminismes, la question du genre, la culture queer, la repreÌsentation des femmes aÌ travers l’histoire de l’art et le corps politique en geÌneÌral.
Lâartiste a exposeÌ aÌ Copenhague, Bruxelles, Paris, Istanbul, Mexico, Rome, Los Angeles et son travail est inclus dans des expositions institutionnelles, telles que: Women painting Women au musĂ©e amĂ©ricain The Modern de Forth Worth, au Texas, Women au musĂ©e d’art moderne Arken au Danemark, Tainted Love / Club Edit aÌ la Villa Arson , Aux sources des anneÌes 1980, au MuseÌe de l’Abbaye Sainte-Croix, Sables d’Olonne, Mademoiselle au Crac Occitanie, Tainted Love, exposition inaugurale au Comfort Moderne, Peindre, dit-elle au MuseÌe des Beaux-Arts de Dole. Ses expositions institutionnelles les plus reÌcentes incluent PosseÌdeÌ(e)s: Deviance, Performance, Resistance organiseÌe par Vincent HonoreÌ au MOCO Contemporain, La PanaceÌe et Conversation Piece VII Verso Narragonia (Towards Narragonia) organiseÌe par Marcello Smarrelli aÌ la Fondazione Memmo de Rome.
En 2020, Apolonia Sokol a eÌteÌ laureÌate de la prestigieuse AcadeÌmie de France et est devenue l’un des pensionnaires de la Villa MeÌdicis pour 2020-2021. HBO & Danish Documentary coproduisent un documentaire sur le parcours de lâartiste, reÌaliseÌ par Lea Glob qui lâa suivie au cours de la dernieÌre dĂ©cennie. Apolonia Sokol est repreÌsenteÌe par T H E P I L L Âź dans le monde entier.
After studiying philosophy, Suela Cennet specializes in political sciences and public policy making at Sciences Po Paris where she completes a double masters degree in International Relations as well as an MPA. Multilingual and very active internationally at a young age, she is appointed co-curator on the occasion of Istanbul, cultural Capital of the EU in 2010. Shortly after, she took the lead of operations at Galerie Templon where she contributed to the debute of artists such as Juliao Sarmento, Kehinde Wiley, Jitish Kallat.
In 2013, she decides to move her operations to Istanbul and creates a gallery with her own rooster of artists among which a strong family of French artists such as Marion Verboom and Eva Nielsen. Located in an ancient generator factory, The PillÂź is an international contemporary art gallery based in the historical peninsula of Istanbul by the Golden Horn. Founded in 2015 and launched in January 2016, the gallery operates as a global platform that brings together local and international artists. Initially imagined as a mobile naval project space, It aims to create a fertile environment for multi-disciplinary contemporary art, to increase the emerging sceneâs visibility and enable a relevant dialog within the local context by multiplying collaborations with other institutions in the region, and inviting international artists to think their practice or experiment in a new territory. Since its opening, the gallery has achieved to establish itself as one of the most influential players in the region by multiplying museum acquisitions, enabling its artists to participate in Biennales.
The gallery’s artists have been shortlisted for coveted art prizes and The PillÂź is part of the 2017-2018 selection committee as well as the jury for Emerige Mecenat and their Emerige Prize for Emerging Contemporary Art as the international partner, a new feature in the prize’sorganisation.
AprĂšs des Ă©tudes de philosophie, Suela Cennet se spĂ©cialise en sciences politiques et en politiques publiques Ă Sciences Po Paris oĂč elle obtient un double master en relations internationales ainsi qu’un MPA. Multilingue et trĂšs active trĂšs tĂŽt Ă l’international, elle est nommĂ©e co-curatrice Ă l’occasion d’Istanbul, capitale culturelle de l’Union EuropĂ©enne en 2010. Peu aprĂšs, elle prend la direction des opĂ©rations de la galerie Templon oĂč elle contribue aux dĂ©buts d’artistes tels que Juliao Sarmento, Kehinde Wiley, Jitish Kallat.
En 2013, elle dĂ©cide de dĂ©mĂ©nager ses opĂ©rations Ă Istanbul et crĂ©e une galerie avec son propre pool d’artistes parmi lesquels une forte famille d’artistes françaises tels que Marion Verboom et Eva Nielsen . SituĂ©e dans une ancienne usine de gĂ©nĂ©rateurs, The Pill Âź est une galerie d’art contemporain internationale basĂ©e dans la pĂ©ninsule historique d’Istanbul au bord de la Corne d’Or. FondĂ©e en 2015 et lancĂ©e en janvier 2016, la galerie fonctionne comme une plateforme globale qui rassemble des artistes locaux et internationaux. Initialement imaginĂ©e comme un espace de projet naval mobile, Elle vise Ă crĂ©er un environnement fertile pour l’art contemporain pluridisciplinaire, Ă accroĂźtre la visibilitĂ© de la scĂšne Ă©mergente et Ă permettre un dialogue pertinent dans le contexte local en multipliant les collaborations avec d’autres institutions de la rĂ©gion, et en invitant des artistes internationaux Ă penser leur pratique ou Ă expĂ©rimenter sur un nouveau territoire. Depuis son ouverture, la galerie a rĂ©ussi Ă s’imposer comme l’un des acteurs les plus influents de la rĂ©gion en multipliant les acquisitions musĂ©ales, en permettant Ă ses artistes de participer Ă des Biennales.
Les artistes de la galerie ont Ă©tĂ© prĂ©sĂ©lectionnĂ©s pour des prix d’art convoitĂ©s et The Pill Âź fait partie du comitĂ© de sĂ©lection 2017-2018 ainsi que du jury d’ Emerige mĂ©cĂ©nat et du Prix Emerige pour l’art contemporain Ă©mergent en tant que partenaire international, une nouveautĂ© dans l’organisation du prix.
Artworks by Mimosa Echard flout traditional classifications and reconciles opposing facets. Sheâs a rather intuitive artist with a strong sense for materials. Her exciting combinations of materials are thrilling. In addition to the strong material presence, thereâs a strong undercurrent in the artworks. Of sublimation, I you will. The idea of contamination is also present. I often experience a precarious balance between enticing, even erotic, and ugly, repulsive and dismal in her works.
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