Off Shore: A Miniature French Art Scene at Espace Paul Ricard

Curated by Jean-Max Colard, critic at Les Inrockuptibles, the exhibition Off Shore at Espace Paul Ricard in Paris (September 9 – October 21, 2005) presented twelve artists based in Paris, including Virginie Barré, Loris Gréaud, Olivier Dollinger, Olivier Babin, Thomas Lélu, the duo Dewar-Gicquel, Stéphane Dafflon, Leandro Erlich, and Kristina Solomoukha. The show occupied a 20-square-meter green platform resembling an offshore oil rig or spaceship, featuring miniature works that reduced sculptures to toy-like scale. Colard also produced a fictional catalog sampling texts by writers and critics, and included a video of himself under hypnosis by Olivier Dollinger, projected on three screens. The exhibition was designed to be transportable and later traveled to capcMusée d'art contemporain de Bordeaux (November 30, 2005 – January 15, 2006). Critic Paul Ardenne praised the concept as intelligent and fun but noted its limited representation of the French scene, suggesting alternative shows like Affinités at the Saline Royale d'Arc et Sénans. Ardenne also critiqued the curatorial self-aggrandizement, calling it a product of the culture industry.