A Project Conceived as a Whole
Drawing inspiration from a quotation from Saint Augustine (354-430) – “There be three times, a present of things past, a present of things present, and a present of things future” (Confessions, Book XI) - curator, artistic director and artist Emmanuelle Luciani has sought to recontextualise this cycle of residencies. She aims to explore the triple temporality that inhabits the Hermès workshops, which move between conservation, transmission and innovation. With this in mind, this new cycle of residencies has been conceived as a unified whole, in which each artist's approach reflects a unique relationship with time.
Jenna Kaës at the Maroquinerie de la Tardoire in 2024
For her first year of artistic direction, Emmanuelle Luciani invited artist and designer Jenna Kaës to explore leatherwork at the Maroquinerie de la Tardoire. During her week-long immersive stay at the workshop in Montbron (Charente), Jenna Kaës – who was born in Saverne (France) in 1987 and holds a master's in luxury and craft design from ECAL in Lausanne – was struck by the beauty of the surrounding landscapes and the magical atmosphere in which they are shrouded. She thus drew both on the craftsmanship of the leatherworkers and on local legends, with the fantastical figure of the fadet catching her attention in particular. This inspired her to combine scraps of black leather to create large, textured surfaces akin to wings. During the production process, she worked with the craftspeople to slit, stitch and saddle stitch together two large-scale sculptures (each produced in two editions) that are as fascinating as they are unsettling: the Fadets. Mounted on a brass framework, their large leather wings – at once reminiscent of those of butterflies, bats and dragons – unfurl from a central glass body. These pieces echo the mythical stories of the region, and expand on part of Jenna Kaës’ mystical body of work. This collection was on show at the Musée d'Art Contemporain de la Haute-Vienne – Château de Rochechouart from 1 March to 8 June 2025.
Mounir Ayache at the Holding Textile Hermès in 2024
The second artist invited by Emmanuelle Luciani, Mounir Ayache was able to explore the skills that surround work with silk at the Holding Textile Hermès. Born in Bordeaux (France) in 1991 and a graduate of the Beaux-Arts de Paris, the Franco-Moroccan artist quickly appropriated silk printing techniques at the Ateliers AS in Pierre-Bénite (Rhône). Fascinated by technology and committed to an approach that blends references to the Arab world with science fiction, he imagined a textile landscape of rolling dunes whose motifs are only visible under black light, thanks to the application of UV ink on a long strip of silk. This was a first for Ateliers AS, who adapted their expertise with flat frame printing, a technique known as ‘à la lyonnaise’, in order to print in light rather than colour. A seamstress then worked with Mounir Ayache to assemble the fabric, which was given relief and volume by a brass structure. In total, the artist produced six silk dunes in two editions, each with a beige weave reminiscent of the classic Moroccan zellige pattern. When illuminated, they reveal a far more complex phosphorescent interlacing that allows the piece’s title, Silken Sarab, to take on its full meaning, ‘silk mirage’. This modular piece was on display in Paris at the Jeu de Paume as part of the group exhibition “Paysages mouvants”, from 7 February to 23 March 2025, and then in an ad hoc installation at the Musée d'Art Contemporain de Lyon from 19 April to 11 May.
Salomé Chatriot at the Maroquinerie de la Sormonne in 2025
In 2025, for the second year of this cycle, Emmanuelle Luciani invited Salomé Chatriot to take up residency at the Maroquinerie de la Sormonne (Ardennes). Born in Suresnes (France) in 1995, Salomé Chatriot is a graduate of the École Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne (ECAL), and produces organic works influenced by science fiction. Since 2019, she has explored the use of her breath to work in a cycle of process-based performances entitled Ecosystem, in which she interacts with the surrounding context using a medical device – a spirometer – that detects her breathing in real time. In each performance, her breathing enters into resonance with that of the spectators and the space in which they are gathered. During her residency at the Maroquinerie de la Sormonne, Salomé Chatriot continued to extend this series by creating four leather kit bags, necessary instruments for future performances. Each contains a costume and a conch-like sculpture that houses the spirometer. She was accompanied by two craftspeople from the Maroquinerie who helped her apply the artisanal techniques required to construct these unique pieces.
Jacopo Pagin at the Cristallerie Saint-Louis in 2025
Jacopo Pagin also completed a residency in 2025, staying at the Cristallerie Saint-Louis (Moselle). Born in Vicenza (Italy) in 1988 and a graduate of the Venice Academy of Fine Arts and the LUCA School of Arts in Brussels, Jacopo Pagin works principally as a painter, notably depicting crystalware. During his residency, he engaged closely with crystal – a material that has long inspired him – producing a series of anthropomorphic vases. Blending surrealist motifs, art deco forms and new wave influences, his compositions are as dreamlike as they are mysterious. Discovering the skills used in the production of crystalware allowed him to undertake a new step in his practice, moving from painting to sculpture and from fantastical visions to tangible forms. Proudly situating himself within a decorative tradition, he explored different skills alongside the craftspeople of the Cristallerie. This collaboration enabled him to develop highly specific forms, which he then finished using techniques such as acid-etching in order to transpose his ornamental motifs onto the crystal surfaces.
At the end of the cycle, a joint edition will be co-published by Loose Joints and the Fondation d'entreprise Hermès, reflecting upon all the residencies of the cycle.
