Heidi Wood's 'La Maison de banlieue' at Espace d'art contemporain

The exhibition 'La Maison de banlieue' by Heidi Wood was held at Espace d'art contemporain in Juvisy-sur-Orge, France, from September 28 to October 26, 2002. Wood's works, described as 'desirable spaces' by Frank Lamy and 'playfully enhancing art's presentation' by Fabienne Fulchéri, blur the line between abstract and decorative painting. Her recent 'Serving Suggestions' series culminates in photographic outcomes. The application of colored materials beyond polyptychs—paint directly on walls, carpet or plastic on floors—creates a borderless framing within the exhibition space. The matte, dry flat compositions, lacking luster or transparency, function as dense chromatic projections on walls and canvases, akin to ephemeral images emitted during the exhibition visit and potentially perpetuated through photography. Reactive to the spatial context, these images are transient, with the on-site execution speed (murals, polyptych hanging, floor coverings) underscoring the transit of images and the venue's vehicular role. While 'desirable,' 'seductive,' and 'familiar,' these images are also invasive and elusive, provoking frustration and even fear. They evoke a strong sense of déjà-vu, yet the unease they generate does not stem from Freudian repression but from a modern incapacity to grasp a world that has become image, as articulated by Alexandre Bohn.