Nicolas Bourriaud on Shamanism, Art, and Founding Radicants

In 2023, Nicolas Bourriaud, who hails from Niort and was born in 1965, established Radicants, a cooperative focused on independent curation. The cooperative's inaugural exhibition, titled Planet B: Climate Change & the New Sublime, took place at Palazzo Bollani during the Venice Biennale, addressing the effects of climate change on modern art. Influenced by literary and scientific figures such as Borges, Gombrowicz, Humboldt, and Darwin, as well as artists like Duchamp, Boetti, and Bourgeois, Bourriaud regards Radicants as his most significant endeavor following five years at MO.CO in Montpellier. The cooperative engages in exhibition production, consultancy, and book publishing, while Bourriaud highlights the need for historical awareness and encourages emerging curators to forge their unique paths. He also reflects on the role of spirituality and future artistic challenges, likening artists to shamans.