a group exhibition curated by Lucas Morin & Sasha Pevak
14 February – 21 March, 2020
Jimmy Beauquesne · Bady Dalloul · Jesse Darling · Ilya Fedotov-Fedorov · Olivia Hernaïz · Candice Lin · Simon Martin · Dala Nasser · Josèfa Ntjam · Bassem Saad · Hanna Zubkova
La Box, Ensa Bourges
7-9 rue Edouard Branly
18000 Bourges, France
Cliquez ici pour la version française
Taking an ordinary love story as its starting point, the exhibition to Thomas features multiple tales of attachment, dependence, anger and resistance. Presented as an imaginary queer romance novel, the exhibition is composed of ‘chapters’ written by individual artists and curators. This exhibition is addressed to a partially autobiographical, partially fictional, past lover; the titular Thomas who could also go by many other names. The works are presented as a series of dialogues between the artists and their imaginings of Thomas. Grounded in their personal experiences, particularly of queer relationships and friendships, the works connect intimate feelings to broader social issues.
to Thomas is the second exhibition of the Emotional Labor curatorial program which explores the political potential of love and emotions. The artists featured in this exhibition address supposedly ‘personal’ emotions, looking at the political factors which produce and shape them. Some works tackle these issues from an intimate angle, focusing on personal emotions and narratives of romantic love. Others explore how emotions are collectively constructed through social conflict, working conditions and the experience of being part of a minority. to Thomas highlights feelings of powerlessness, dependence and loss of control, while questioning whether these can have the potential to transform both personal and social relationships.
to Thomas is produced by La Box – Ensa Bourges, Ygrec – ENSAPC and Renard – Visual Arts.
La Box – Ensa Bourges is supported by the French Ministry of Culture, the Centre-Val-de-Loire DRAC, the Centre-Val-de-Loire Regional Council, and the Bourges Plus Intercommunal Area.
Production manager: Jessie Morin. Production assistant: Charlotte Thibault. Coordinator: Véronique Fréjabue. Communications manager: Azelma de Grandmaison. Outreach officers: Manon Valle, Marine Eigel.
We would like to thank: Antoine Réguillon, Ferenc Gróf, Chloé Nicolas, Edwige Belair (Ensa Bourges); Guillaume Breton, Corinne Diserens (Ensapc); Gan Uyeda & Kristina Klochok (François Ghebaly Gallery); Guillaume Sultana (Galerie Sultana); Jérôme Poggi (Galerie Jérôme Poggi); Leonie Radine (Museum Ludwig); Michael Angland, Ali Atakay, Orestis Athanasopoulos Antoniou, Ali Cherri, Marijke De Roover, Tania Gheerbrant, Guslagie Malanda, Edwin Nasr; and the students of Ensa Bourges, specifically Hanna Kokolo, Anna Koutsafti and Jordan Roger.
Cover image: Jimmy Beauquesne, from Lucas, 2020, crayon on paper, 20x30cm. Courtesy the artist. Produced by La Box – Ensa Bourges.
Jesse Darling, Me and Thomas in the Sauna, 2020, inkjet print on paper, limited edition of 25, 42x30cm. Image François Lauginie. 
Bady Dalloul, King of the System, 2019 (detail), wood, paper, ink on bone; frame 31×25.5x5cm, & three sections 14×11.5x2cm. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Jérôme Poggi. Image Francois Lauginie. 
Candice Lin, Minoritarian Medicine, 2019, 4 ceramics plates ø20.5cm, 1 wooden cabinet 61x61x15.5cm, plants, glass, ceramics, glaze. Courtesy the artist and François Ghebaly Gallery. Image Francois Lauginie.
Ilya Fedotov-Fedorov, Centaurs of the War (detail), iron, 200x95x3cm. Courtesy the artist. Image Francois Lauginie. 
Bassem Saad, There are still many labour hours to be spent in your physical presence at the Square (detail), 2020, digital print on aludibond, back brace, aluminum, 154x95x4cm. Courtesy the artist. Image François Lauginie.
Olivia Hernaïz, Art & My Career, 2019, board game, 50x50cm; wood, felt, aluminum, stools, dimensions variable. Courtesy the artist. Image François Lauginie. 
Simon Martin, 14 h sur le lit (2pm on the bed), 2020, oil on canvas, 162x130cm. Courtesy the artist. Image François Lauginie.
