Anna Byskov. De dos, je regarde ma bibliothèque . 16 July | 6 pm . Thank you to Anna Byskov for the performance-reading at the gallery, with the sculptures…
Anna Byskov. De dos, je regarde ma bibliothèque . 16 July | 6 pm . Thank you to Anna Byskov for the performance-reading at the gallery, with the sculptures Hygie and Panacée by Frédérique Nalbandian as partners. And thank you all for your presence and support. © Performance reading, Anna Byskov, De dos, je regarde ma bibliothèque © Galerie Eva Vautier De dos, je regarde ma bibliothèque is a performative book made from texts by Anna Byskov written between 1994 and today. Together, they form a monologue inhabited by several voices, fragmented and incomplete, in which Anna Byskov's performances collide. An index and plates composed collectively and subjectively are added to them. Retracing Anna Byskov's actions through the texts that gave rise to them, this book is less a retrospective look at the artist's performance practice than a means of propelling it into a new dynamic and a new interpretation, thus renewing this repertoire of gestures and forms. ‘De dos, je regarde ma bibliothèque I have a fine teacup on a saucer and my hand begins to tremble. I pull a string and eat a diamond coated in chocolate. I begin to tell a story.’ – Anna Byskov Born in 1984, lives and works in Nice. Putting her body (and sometimes her mind) into play in offbeat actions in which nonsense outweighs reason (such as diving until exhausted into a swimming pool after putting on a swimsuit that is too big, or banging her head against trees until she loses her bearings…), Anna Byskov does not shy away from the task. Physically committed to her work, in the name of self-mockery, slapstick and the desire to attempt the impossible, her videos and actions show an artist determined in her project. Anna Byskov also stages herself, embodying extravagant and stereotypical characters. Entangled in absurd conversations, these characters deliver dialogues that are paradoxically absurd and plausible, which often tend to relativise the notion of madness or idiocy. Her sculptural work is likewise driven by the need to counter the value and permanence of things, and so she builds with imbalance and cardboard. As if to make certain that nothing will withstand time. Once shown, her fragile forms will fall just as she herself falls when she tries to climb her paper staircases (L’escalier).
