Hélène Bellenger and Charlotte Perrin's 'Plaisir solide' at 3 bis f

The exhibition 'Plaisir solide' by Hélène Bellenger and Charlotte Perrin runs at Centre d'art 3 bis f in Aix-en-Provence until June 5, 2021, as part of the PAC festival, one of the first cultural events after reopening. The project originated from two research residencies at 3 bis f between September 2019 and March 2020, where the artists shared a studio in January. Their practices, connected by themes of norms and framing, led to a 'duel' exhibition, as described by artistic director Diane Pigeau. The COVID-19 lockdown delayed the show but allowed correspondence that evolved the project into collections and collages, also resulting in a publication. Bellenger explores iconography, focusing on advertisements for antidepressants and anxiolytics from the 1970s to 2000s found in the hospital's archives, critiquing gendered happiness norms. Perrin examines asylum architecture and its paradoxes of care and confinement. Bellenger's works feature a color gradient reminiscent of Instagram, and she incorporates scent for the first time, with six 'positive notes' created by perfumers from Grasse, and an installation mixing positive and negative fragrances. Perrin's modular pieces, derived from on-site templates, include movable screens and benches that invite reconfiguration. The exhibition emphasizes physical experience, resisting virtualisation, and engages visitors' senses directly.