We spent our afternoon with musician and artist Jacques Rémus. Jacque’s studio is housed in a warehouse occupied by over thirty practicing artists. The space was built at the turn of the century as a food and meat warehouse that supplied central Paris. As the neighborhood evolved and developed this funky and eclectic collective of artists has maintained their space, and the warehouse is now adorned with graffiti art and performance posters.
Jacque began our afternoon here where he explained his working methods and installation pieces. He allowed us to try our hand at his movement operated sound programs; by moving our hands we would control the speed volume and tone of the sounds created by his digital instruments and computers. This tool and program is one of the many that Jacque employs in creating sound installations.
Then we set off on a walk through the beautiful Bercy Park en route to another of his studios. This second studio is located in a former stable of Napolean III. This cavernous space is where we experienced the true magic of his work. We witnessed a musical installation that included a construction of pipes attached to mechanical boxes each standing about three feet high and the construction was approx. 25 feet long. The installation is controlled by a central keyboard. A computer program keys the mechanical arms to hit the pipes and play a series of notes which in turn create musical compositions. Jacque’s classic musical training allows him to experiment with artistic music assemblages while creating scores and the music he creates speaks to both his classical training and also his innovation.
It was exciting to learn about his creative process and ask him questions about his installations!
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