Challenging our perception of ‘beauty’, French artist Franck Rezzak recreates his version of human body in ‘Rezzak Beauty Institute’ project. He wants to open the ‘door’ to viewers’ brains.
A DOOR TO YOUR BRAIN
The exhibition at agnes b.’s LIBRIARIE GALERIE is divided into three parts – ‘Aesthetic Surgery Room’, ‘Complements Bar’ and ‘Hair Salone’. The exhibition debuts with ‘Rezzak Coiffure’ (Hair Salon), and later goes into nanotechnology and surgery. It is a response to the extreme pursuit of beauty and youth in society today, and sheds light on how technology alters human body. In this first part ‘hair salon’, twenty-seven paintings, sculptures and installation of surreal compositions are paired with gentle shades and silhouettes. The work is opened for the viewers’ interpretation, and encourages them to open ‘a door to the brain’.
Please could you tell us about the concept of this project?
This is part of a project called ‘Rezzak Beauty Institute’. It is about transhumanity, as well as nanotechnology. With ‘hair salon’ as the theme this time, simple changes can be made to alter one’s appearance. For example, changing hair style or putting a wig on. The second part involves surgery, which takes one ‘back to the past’. The last is even more extreme, taking dietary supplements (which are often artificial) in order to maintain a youthful look. I think this is a disease, and one that is widespread. It’s all about the fear.
What is the message you’d like to put across?
There is no tangible story to tell, and I prefer not to direct the viewers into a fixed interpretation. The surreal combinations of various elements are then drawn in simple compositions. I often describe my art as ‘construction’. These symbolic compositions are a media for the viewers to trigger their imagination. Through this they’d be able to make their own interpretations and consider something related to them individually. I can’t put a message into other’s head. There are so many ways to consider an object, a language, a drawing…… it’s like ‘fill in the blank’. It’s like one of the drawings with horse nose on a woman’s face. I can’t explain why I made it, but I guess we are amongst all kinds of strange hybrids in this world.
What is your view on the modern pursuit for beauty and youth?
It’s common nowadays. We focus too much on our appearance, and not enough on what’s inside…… I’d say many of us never thought about ‘why do I exist’, ‘what does it mean to exist’, and ‘why am I here’. Facial surgery might become flawless in future years, but it hasn’t got to that point yet. We pay a price for it, isn’t it ironic? This pursuit for beauty didn’t work out for some.
What does ‘waking up the brain’ mean exactly? You seem to be very interested in this area of the human body.
I find science to be one of the most inspiring topics. I have been interested in the operation of our brains for quite a while now. From 17th century up until fifteen years ago, scientists believe brain damage equals death of the body. Many years of research has proved otherwise. Human brain has the ability to regenerate. One of the tests was to wrap one’s index and middle fingers together; after a few weeks, the brain started to accept that the fingers are bound together and synchronise the actions internally. I am not a scientist, but I’m inspired by my findings in science journals. Although I’m not presenting scientific figures, I’d like to present an argument in the shape of art. This is what I meant about ‘construct’. There’s a door to everyone’s brain, once opened, there’s another world inside. I’d really like to open the viewers’ doors.
Your drawings are presented in many different ways – human hair installation, inverted mirror drawing, space ship and more.
I bought the human hair in France, probably belongs to someone Asian, it wasn’t cheap! Human hair creates something weird; putting a picture of a couple in wedding ceremony in a glass, and show the reverted image on a mirror – the glass is made in durable material – it is a negative image. The image most people see is not real, sometimes the opposite is true. It is very scary to be with the same person after a certain time. This is my personal view on marriage; the room, when locked, is a closed space. The oversize round painting is like a window on a space ship. It’s like looking at the moon.
The soundtrack of the exhibition is put together by your student?
Yes, Jim is one of my students. She’s so much fun – she took a boy’s name three months ago. I teach drawing technique as well as art concept, therefore Jim is my student although she studies music and video making. Her music is inspired by 1970s and 1980s videos, mixed with various elements. I gave her a brief of what I was looking for, and we spent a lot of time together to work on it. It took us seven months to get to this. Jim is still working on it, and I’ll be sending the latest version once I’m back in France. The music will evolve over the period of this exhibition.
Text: iemi | Translation: dilettante
Photo: Chan Man Ching
Update: 1 Feb 2011
REZZAK COIFFURE BY FRANCK REZZAK
agnès b.’s LIBRAIRIE GALERIE
1/F, 18 Wing Fung Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
Until 7 May 2011
Free Admission
franckrezzak.net
