Charlotte Pringuey-Cessac's 'Bruit originaire' at Mamac and Terra Amata

Charlotte Pringuey-Cessac presents 'Bruit originaire', a two-venue exhibition at the Mamac and the Musée de Terra Amata in Nice, running until July 26, 2020. The project was inspired by an archaeological discovery on the Colline du Château: a medieval skull found in a late antique tomb, later identified as a reuse. Pringuey-Cessac, a former student at Villa Arson, draws on Rainer Maria Rilke's 'Letters to a Young Poet', where he fantasizes about running a phonograph needle over a skull's sutures to hear its thoughts. The exhibition includes works such as 'Livres nomades', handmade paper books with ochre and embossed sound; 'Infra', a floor covering with footprints; 'Origine', a climbing route with archaeological tool holds; and a charcoal line encircling the gallery, with a video at Terra Amata. Porcelain forms evoke seascapes or mountains with lithic tools, hung high as a homage to Caspar David Friedrich. Glass lines replicate skull sutures. Pringuey-Cessac, who has moved frequently, collaborates with artisans, CNRS researchers, and archaeologists. She plans a nine-month eco-construction course at Le Gabion in Marseille to work with natural materials. The exhibition was curated by Hélène Guénin, director of Mamac.