In art, there are no borders.” This very relevant quote from Victor Hugo serves as the key to opening the doors to the collaborative exhibition Transformative Boundaries between Fabienne Levy of the eponymous gallery and Monique Deul, founder of Taste Contemporary. In a world in which freedoms are increasingly restricted and censorship is threatening, art is an essential space for creation and reflection to be preserved. Fabienne Levy and Monique Deul are professionals who are both passionate about art, and who enthusiastically and generously support artists in their respective fields.

We meet at the Geneva gallery space, where the various mediums challenge our thinking and our perception of the notions of time, movement, self-representation in our contemporary societies, as well as the ability to transcend reality. Andrea Galvani’s paratroopers photographed crossing the atmospheric layers coloured with blue and pink invite meditation. Oh time, suspend your flight! The result is breathtakingly beautiful. We must ask ourselves if it is dawn or dusk? Through luminous mathematical formulas inspired by Maxwell’s equations, the artist makes the invisible visible, i.e. the electromagnetic field, using neon. The voluptuous ceramics of Anne Marie Laureys attract the touch as they evoke sensuality. Its pleated shapes in shades of blue, pink and purple seem ready to fly away.

German painter Norbert Bisky celebrates the cult of the male body, drawing inspiration from the ancient Greeks and Soviet art. In these luminously-coloured canvases that are blindingly bright, young idle ephebes throw Molotov cocktails like throwing javelins against the backdrop of global cataclysm. The work of ceramist Johannes Nagel provides a counterpart and “is about improvisation and premeditation. The objects take shape through the enamelling process and the firing of the porcelain.” He places his colourful touches on the ceramic like a painter on canvas.

Sonia Jebsen: My question to you both is could you explain to us the meaning of the title of the exhibition,Transformative Boundaries?

Fabienne Levy: The notion of limits, of borders, is still relevant in our world, but in art, these borders are transformed into infinite spaces where creation comes to life. Each gesture, each brushstroke, each idea thus becomes an innovative force.

Monique Deul: In the art world, we often talk about boundaries – between different disciplines, ways of working, etc. Some say that they present obstacles but in reality, they offer opportunities, invitations to surpass themselves and new ways of working.

SJ: What place does ceramics hold in contemporary art in your opinion?

FL: I already collaborate with artists working in various mediums: Vanessa Safavi, Andrea Galvani (neon) or Vikenti Komitski with bronze and metal. A craftsman and an artist evolve within two distinct universes. The artist, carrying a deep emotion, skillfully transposes it through artistic gestures, whether in painting, sculpture or video. The artisan often shapes his personal vision through the creation of objects.

SJ: I have noticed that at Taste Contemporary you have also started to exhibit paintings and photographs alongside ceramics and other crafts. Why these juxtapositions?

MD: When creating Taste Contemporary in 2012, I focused on the most talented and innovative artists working with clay, textiles, glass, metal and wood. My perspective is to constantly discover new gems in this exciting segment of the art market. More recently, I began to associate them with painters and photographers whose work I admire. In these dialogues, we offer a new look at different disciplines so that works in clay, textile or wood are considered in the same way as artistic disciplines called fine art.

The exhibitions will run until January 12th in Geneva and until January 27th in Lausanne at Fabienne Levy Gallery. 

Cover image: Transformative Boundaries exhibition view, Anne Marie Laureys ceramics with Andrea Galvani photographs, courtesy of Fabienne Levy Gallery ©Gilian Cardaci