Swallowed, the title piece that anchors Bertrand Lamarche’s latest presentation at Galerie Poggi, draws us into a fascinating interplay between Pit of Narcissism, Swallowed, and Vanish—three architectural models mounted on pedestals, or rather tables, topped with motorized signage. These mechanisms spin endlessly, like extensions of a turntable, and one piece, Vanish, incorporates a 25 cm, 33 RPM vinyl record. The visual loops evoke urban narratives: nocturnal and disorienting visions of fragmented cities, seen through the lens of animated architecture and neon typography, reminiscent of global metropolises.

Meteorological elements swirl in a dizzying motion that captivates not only the viewer’s gaze but also their body, as the scale and perspective shift with proximity. The atmosphere is far from a claustrophobic black hole; the semi-darkness enables visitors to discern the distance between works, maintaining a sense of control. However, as one approaches the pieces, focus begins to drift, creating a visual lure.

The question arises: are we observing a model of a structure in context, or are we sharing a passage between material and immaterial realms? These architectural assemblages, adorned with large neon letters that enhance the visibility of the buildings, invite exploration. The exhibition space positions us next to these rotating mechanisms, which are placed at mid-height on pedestals while cameras film them from low angles. The resulting projection, distorted by movement, overlays the spinning objects with shifting colors, transitioning from black and white to vibrant hues, playing with the immediacy of live transmission. The 3D objects transform into moving 2D images, multiplying sensory disorientation.

Alongside these three architectural installations, the exhibition features L’Homme aux Étangs, a previously presented solo film, projected low to the ground. The film captures fragments of reality, such as the fleeting image of a windshield wiper, juxtaposed with almost-recognizable organisms, structures, and phenomena. A scrolling text orients the narrative, momentarily illuminating a façade before dissolving into ambiguity.

The story unfolds in a city either decaying or temporarily shaken by a violent storm. Inspired by a legend and partially borrowing from Japanese kaiju narratives, the film depicts a battle with a monstrous serpent. Lamarche’s signature depiction of cities shrouded in fog, rain, and tornadoes challenges the stability of modern architectural structures, crafting a metropolis in his own image. Time’s vortexes manipulate analog and mechanical rhythms, as movements repeat yet shift unpredictably, enveloping the models with an uncanny breath.

Over the course of his exhibitions, Lamarche has asserted his vision of the city, which he began revisiting early on as he witnessed unbridled urbanization dismantling modern utopias—those of Jean Prouvé, Bernard Zehrfuss, and others. The JFK viaduct in Nancy served as a « primitive scene » for the artist, where steel and concrete collide with a panoramic landscape that reveals a pre-conceived scenario. From this starting point, Lamarche has developed a multitude of urban projects that, while structuring historical milestones, also welcome fantasy and chaos, often subverting linear time itself.

Lamarche’s exploration of inverted time loops, musical as much as visual, echoes his childhood experiments with Minnie Mouse soprano voices and Kate Bush tracks. His work is deeply rooted in cinema, the quintessential art of ghosts, haunting us with representations of cities where neon typography merges with skyscrapers to deepen the myth of a universal metropolis—where every district becomes an adventure, waiting to be discovered and lost in.

Passages and breakthroughs emerge where time transforms into an ellipse, not as a symbol of expansionist or imperialist utopia, but as an emancipatory force, continually driven by the infinite desire for spiraling energy that reaches out to others.

The exhibition is open until October 26 at Galerie Poggi, celebrating its 15th anniversary by launching the 2024/2025 season with two artists tied to its origins: Bertrand Lamarche and Larissa Fassler.

Photo credit: Nicolas Brasseur