INTRODUCTION
Vincent Fournier, a French artist and photographer, delves into the realm of imagination and the future through his captiva- ting works.
His photographs capture the essence of space voyages, humanoid robots, utopian structures, and the transformative impact of technology on life.
By exploring futuristic narratives, Fournier uncovers fragments of the future within our present reality or even in the annals of history. His art takes viewers on a captivating journey through the most emblematic utopian visions of the 20th and 21st centuries, such as the exhilarating pursuit of space exploration, futuristic architectural marvels, and the dawn of artificial intelligence. Within these realms of imagination and possibility, memory functions as the White Queen in Alice in Wonderland explains it traverses not only the past but also reaches into the future. Fournier's art offers a unique perspective, where one can remember events before they unfold, opening doors to an extraordinary world of creativity and anticipation.
Vincent Fournier
Paris | France
BIOGRAPHY
Vincent Fournier, born in 1970 in Ouagadougou, is a distinguished French photographic artist He delves deep into the imaginings of the future — reflecting both past predictions and current visions for the days ahead. His work spans a range of topics, from the excitement of space exploration in the "Space Project" series, the fascination with humanoid robots in "The Man Machine," to utopian architecture in " Brasília" and "Kosmic Memories." He also ventures into the reinvention of the natural world with series like "Post Natural History," "Auctus animalis," and "Flora Incognita.”
Childhood memories, especially his visits to the Palais de la Découverte, infuse his work with a sense of scientific wonder. While he primarily expresses himself through photography, some of his projects also feature elements of 3D printing, animation, and installations.
In 2017, in collaboration with NASA, Vincent captured the essence of all the Space Centers across the USA.
By 2019, he was invited to the MET for a public showcase of his work during the "In Our Time" conference. His accolades include winning the Swiss Life 4 Hands Award in 2022. A year later, in 2023, the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature spotlighted him with a monographic exhibition titled "Uchronie." This event also featured round-table discussions with influential authors such as Enki Bilal, Alain Damassio, Vinciane Despret, and others. Furthermore, between 2023 and 2024, the City of Science and Industry will be showcasing his "Space Utopia" series.
His creations have found homes in several esteemed permanent collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Louis Vuitton foundation, Centre Pompidou in Paris, Mast Foundation in Bologna, and more.
His personal exhibitions have been showcased at prestigious institutions like the Centre Pompidou Metz, Triennale de Milan, and National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.
Beyond the art world, Vincent's collaborations span luxury and entertainment brands, from Louis Vuitton and Baccarat New York to working on "The Amazing Spider-man II" with Columbia Pictures. Currently, he is partnering with Cartier International on an exciting new project. [Learn More]
press
COLLECTIONS
Brasília: a Time Capsule
My fascination with Brasília stems from an intricate blend of enchantment and nostalgia, an attraction to the tales and portrayals of what the future once promised. Oscar Niemeyer's masterpiece, the Brazilian capital erected in just four years amidst desert expanses, encapsulates the 1960s' forward looking aspirations. The pilot plan, formulated in 1957 by urban planner Lucio Costa, emerged concurrently with the dawn of the space age, the time of Earth's first artificial satellite, Sputnik, and the golden era of the Space Age.
Brasília, resembling a UFO in an untouched wilderness, epitomizes the nostalgia and dream of a future trapped in the past. Its singularity is evident in its sheer scale an entire city. With its immaculate preservation, the pilot plan remains untouched, thanks to its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
A beacon of modernist design, Brasília stands as a testament to a utopian future, preserved as if in a time capsule.
As I navigated the city, I perceived it as a stage, with its residents cast in intricate roles. My explorations evoked a myriad of tales: JL Borges' "On Exactitude in Science" (1946), where a vast empire's map sprawls across its entire territory; D Buzzati's "The Tartar Steppe" (1940), narrating the chronicles of a man awaiting an event that never transpires; and P Weir's "The Truman Show" (1998), in which the protagonist resides within a constructed reality. One must also marvel at Brasília's awe-inspiring and profound beauty, where every element resonates in unison, marked by linearity, precision, minimalism, fluidity, grandeur, and musicality.
Selected works from the “Brasília” series have earned their place in the esteemed permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (further details available on the MET website) and within the Louis Vuitton (LVMH) collection in Paris.
Edition:
10 + 2 Artist proofs
Encompassing all formats.
Brasília through fournier's lens:
a dreamscape of modernist aspirations.
In the vast landscapes of Brazil, a unique gem emerges: Brasília. Envisioned and meticulously sculpted as a manifestation of future dreams, its creation was a bold statement of ambition and modernity. Vincent Fournier’s photography captures this essence masterfully, offering viewers a poignant glance into a future as it was dreamt from the vantage of the past.
Brasília is not merely a city; it is a symbol of Brazil’s rise, its aspiration to take its place confidently on the world stage. Oscar Niemeyer’s architectural designs characterized by flowing curves, bold forms, and audacious innovations meld seamlessly with Lúcio Costa’s urban planning genius. Together, they transformed a once barren plateau into a
living testament to progress and the human spirit.
Each frame by Fournier stands as a testimony to this grand vision. His photographs
delve deep, transcending mere aesthetics to capture the ethos of a city. These are more
than images; they are narratives that echo the boundless potential of humanity to
dream, to create, and to transform. His technique amplifies the drama of Brasília’s structures buildings that seem to emerge organically from the landscape, symbolizing Niemeyer’s architectural philosophy.
The expansiveness of the city’s vast spaces, marked by Fournier’s expert interplay of light and shadow, evokes feelings of awe, nostalgia, and contemplation. The stark
beauty, the contrast of the monumental with the minimal, prompts a profound reflection on time, human endeavor, and the nature of impermanence.
Enter Roberto Drummond’s narrative with « The Hinterland: A Story of Brasília. » His storytelling offers a literary counterpart to Fournier’s visual narrative. Drummond delves into the intimate lives of Brasília’s inhabitants their dreams, ambitions, triumphs, and challenges. The juxtaposition of the city’s carefully planned aesthetic with the organic, often chaotic, human narratives adds a rich layer of depth to our understanding of Brasília.
In our contemporary world, overflowing with visual stimuli and relentless pace, Fournier’s work offers a tranquil sanctuary. It is an invitation to journey into a dreamlike realm, where the boundaries between architecture and nature blur, crafting a harmonious symphony. His aesthetic, reminiscent of the surreal worlds painted by Jorge Luis Borges and Dino Buzzati, remains deeply anchored in the tangible, unyielding beauty of Brasília.
This exhibit, through the confluence of Fournier’s photographs and Drummond’s prose, strives to present Brasília in all its facets, a city of dreams, challenges, and endless possibilities.
Carolina Stubbe
- Art Hub -
![IMM #16 [dyptique1]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fdd3d3_0f0c061ea02248aeadddf591a4d3abd9~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_694,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/fdd3d3_0f0c061ea02248aeadddf591a4d3abd9~mv2.jpg)
Space Project
Initiated in 2007 and continually evolving, the "Space Project" series is a chronicle of humanity's celestial journey, intertwining the past memories of the Apollo program and the progressive aspirations, such as NASA's SLS rocket aiming for Mars.
My images blend the objective lens of a historical documentarian with an artistry influenced by film and recollections from my formative years. Undeniably, my space allurement finds its roots in the 80s' futuristic depictions – a medley of movies, TV series, documentaries, and speculative fiction.
The photographic journey of the "Space Project" took me to the legendary bastions of space exploration: Russia's Star City, the Guiana Space Center, Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the iconic landmarks of NASA, the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah, the austere Atacama Desert in Chile, and Svalbard Island's Arctic base. Additionally, I've ventured to modern private space entities, such as Virgin Galactic.
This odyssey captures astronauts in full gear, Apollo 8's mission control room, the 2011 final launch of the U.S. shuttle, and, as recently as 2019, the promising Artemis project at NASA’s Glenn Research Center – a symbol of our ambition to revisit the Moon and subsequently use it as a launchpad for Mars.
Each photograph in the series stands out for both its narrative depth and unadulterated visual grandeur. I emphasize the authenticity of these images: captured without any photomontage or filters.
This series has graced many renowned spaces, such as the MET New York, Mori Art Museum Tokyo, Centre 798 Art Zone Beijing, Art Science Museum Singapore, Shanghai Center of Photography (SCoP), FOMU Antwerp, Museum of Modern Art Bologna (MAMbo), Black Gold Museum, Le Centre de la Photographie de Genève, MUCEM Marseille, and the Rencontres d’Arles.
Edition:
10 + 2 Artist proofs, inclusive of all formats.