The traveler
2023
Resin, colored wax,human hair, mounted LED panel.
The traveler was presented on the 20th of march 2023 as part of a solo exhibition in the school studio at Beaux Arts de Paris, titled Time Laps.
"For this exhibition, Valentin Gillet started with the archaeological case of the Tollund Man, a man who died between 375 and 270 BC and was found perfectly preserved in 1950 in a Jutland bog in Denmark. Initially, the preservation of his physical appearance, particularly his intact beard, tanned skin, closed eyes and mouth, led the local population to believe that his death was recent. The exhibition's date was chosen to echo this mummification phenomenon: analyses of the Tollund Man and most of the bodies found in bogs suggest that their deaths occurred around the spring equinox, indicating possible ritualistic sacrifices.
The discovery of the body is marked by its singularity: it is detached from the ecosystem in which it was found, defying the common conception of the physical rules of decomposition. As if prevented from naturally returning to the earth, it creates a feeling of strangeness to those who discover it. Its presence does not conform to the categories with which it was studied, creating a sense of disturbance.[...]"
The traveler
2023
Resin, colored wax,human hair, mounted LED panel.
The traveler was presented on the 20th of march 2023 as part of a solo exhibition in the school studio at Beaux Arts de Paris, titled Time Laps.
"For this exhibition, Valentin Gillet started with the archaeological case of the Tollund Man, a man who died between 375 and 270 BC and was found perfectly preserved in 1950 in a Jutland bog in Denmark. Initially, the preservation of his physical appearance, particularly his intact beard, tanned skin, closed eyes and mouth, led the local population to believe that his death was recent. The exhibition's date was chosen to echo this mummification phenomenon: analyses of the Tollund Man and most of the bodies found in bogs suggest that their deaths occurred around the spring equinox, indicating possible ritualistic sacrifices.
The discovery of the body is marked by its singularity: it is detached from the ecosystem in which it was found, defying the common conception of the physical rules of decomposition. As if prevented from naturally returning to the earth, it creates a feeling of strangeness to those who discover it. Its presence does not conform to the categories with which it was studied, creating a sense of disturbance.[...]"