Mélanie Matranga's '•— •' at Villa Vassilieff Explores Intimacy in the Digital Age

Mélanie Matranga's exhibition '•— •' at Villa Vassilieff in Paris, curated by Camille Chenais, ran from September 21 to December 22, 2018. The show examines the remnants of intimacy and interpersonal relationships in the internet era. The white space, with walls covered in hair, dust, and footprints, and a soiled carpet, evokes traces of past visitors. Matranga, born in 1985, pays homage to the site's history as Marie Vassilieff's studio, academy, and canteen for artists during WWI, later a rehearsal space, Musée de Montparnasse, and Annick Le Moine's gallery. The installation includes Japanese paper garments based on Matranga's own wardrobe, plants reaching toward light, and sound pieces: YouTube testimonials about sexual experiences playing from pockets, and a playlist of current music chosen by the artist's friends. The work continues her earlier exploration at Palais de Tokyo (winter 2015) of the boundary between private and public, memory's imprint on the present, and what we leave behind in spaces we inhabit. The title '•— •' remains silent, preferring emotion over words.