Mathieu Briand's Libertalia Project Explores Pirate Utopia Through Conceptual Art Exhibition
In April 2015, Paris hosted an exhibition titled 'Et in Libertalia Ego,' created by French artist Mathieu Briand, who swam from a small island near Madagascar in June 2008 to develop a contemporary art sanctuary. This project draws inspiration from Nicolas Poussin's 'Arcadian Shepherds' and the legendary pirate utopia Libertalia, as described in Captain Charles Johnson's 1724 publication. The exhibition showcases the works of over a dozen artists, such as Pierre Huyghe and Thomas Hirschhorn, across four distinct rooms. Briand's narrative reflects Paul Gauguin's experiences in Tahiti and integrates concepts from Jean Rouch's 1955 film and René Girard's theories. He collaborated with a Malagasy family to establish an ecotourism initiative, questioning the economic implications of conceptual art.
Key facts
- Mathieu Briand swam from a Madagascar-adjacent island to a smaller offshore island in June 2008
- The project 'Et in Libertalia Ego' references an 18th-century pirate utopia described in Captain Charles Johnson's 1724 book
- The exhibition includes works by Pierre Huyghe, Thomas Hirschhorn, Damián Ortega, Mike Nelson, Grégory and Cyril Chapuisat, and Francis Alÿs
- Briand encountered a Malagasy family on the island practicing animist, Christian, and Muslim rituals including animal sacrifice
- Briand built an artist's studio on rented family land that doubled as a bed-and-breakfast
- Some artworks were destroyed by family member Saïd who believed they contained black magic
- The project draws parallels to Paul Gauguin's Tahiti experience and Jean Rouch's 1955 documentary 'The Mad Masters'
- The exhibition was presented in Paris in April 2015
Entities
Artists
- Mathieu Briand
- Pierre Huyghe
- Thomas Hirschhorn
- Damián Ortega
- Mike Nelson
- Grégory Chapuisat
- Cyril Chapuisat
- Francis Alÿs
- Nicolas Poussin
- Paul Gauguin
- Captain Charles Johnson
- Daniel Defoe
- Jean Rouch
- René Girard
Institutions
- ArtReview
Locations
- Madagascar
- Paris
- France
- Tahiti