FRANCE DISTRACTION (FR): LES THERMES

19. 19-23 & 20. – 23. 9. ● 18-23h ● SC Gallery

France Distraction (Belinda Annaloro, Antoine Defoort, Julien Fournet, Halory Goerger,  Sébastien Vial)

Les Thermes is a place for therapeutic retro training offering the audience a chance to dive into the bath of stoic morality. A big, wooden swimming pool is filled with 25 000 black, soft plastic balls, engraved with 80 different quotes mostly coming from stoic philosophy. The audience can plunge into the hammam of thought, read the inscriptions randomly, gradually soak themselves in aphorisms and exchange impressions of their meanings. Something in between a conceptual sauna and a ball pool for grown-ups, this space can also become a meeting place for discussions or lectures on stoic philosophy. Detailed information on the program of events in Les Thermes can be found on the website of the festival.

INTERVIEW

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE LES THERMES TO A RANDOM PASSER-BY?

Imagine taking your kid to a ball pool and discovering that there’s also a model for grown-ups in which you can catch up on your reading. It feels like the weirdest place ever to get information on Stoic philosophy, but after a while in the pool you wish you’d studied philosophy this way.

Les Thermes are:
– space for rest
– reading spot
– place of encounter with Stoic philosophy

It’s thrilling to be alone in the pool, but it is equally interesting to share it with others.

Related to the feeling of looking at still life, the surprise is successful when we feel a slight gap between the guilty pleasure of playing in the ball pool and the stale scent bringing back the memories of philosophy courses.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS FORM TO TALK ABOUT REALITY?

We chose installation because it was a good medium to collaborate for this very specific group of people, and because we believed the pieces would be as much about the way we negotiated on art as about reality.

WHY SHOULD WE, AS AUDIENCE, CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE DOING?

You should care because we do. We devoted our 5 lives to this very specific way of ruining your mental health that is art, and that should always be honored. We took the risk of not doing anything else, because we believe in continuity : only time will tell.

IF YOU HAD ANY MEANS AVAILABLE (‘IDEAL WORLD SITUATION’) WHAT KIND OF PROJECT WOULD YOU DO?

(I can only talk for myself here, Halory Goerger) : I would buy a nice small tropical island (freed from its inhabitants, let’s say they all wanted out) and sculpt it with explosives and tanks, build weird buildings and prepare the whole territory as I would prepare an installation, and then invite people for a month-long visit. I’d live on the island as the warden. Actually it’s a great idea, I’m looking for funds. Anyone ?

WHAT THREE THINGS NEVER FAIL TO BRING YOU PLEASURE?

Sex (even bad sex)
Listening to the radio during the night
Reading about horrible situations in wonderful places

BIOGRAPHY

France Distraction is a group of visual artists and performers based in Lille (France) and Bruxelles (Belgium). Whether with constructions, videos, interactive devices, painting, installation, writing or music, France Distraction makes the most of every opportunity, be it with humble materials or precious ones. Proxemics and free associations lie at the heart of this ever-changing, jovial output, gently pushing the limits of artistic practice.

CREDITS

Concept: France Distraction (Belinda Annaloro, Antoine Defoort, Julien Fournet, Halory Goerger, Sébastien Vial)
Direction: Emilie Godreuil
Management and administration: Sarah Calvez
General secretariat and distribution: Anne Rogeaux
Production: l’Amicale de production/Julien Fournet