An interview! Galerie aKonzept and Raphael Lévy presented from 30th April 2021 the solo show THE FAKE OF THE REAL with an expansive installation by the artist Cyril Hatt. Do not miss the exhibition: REMAKE till 18.08.2021. The reopening of Cyril Hatt’s exhibition: The Fake of the Real. The artist himself presented the book object created especially for this exhibition.
www.instagram.com/cyrilhatt // www.cyrilhatt.fr
www.instagram.com/galerieakonzept
Cyril Hatt reconstructs life-size everyday objects by photographing them in piecemeal fashion, with each fragment measuring 10 x 15 cm each. He brackets these photos together to create singular entities, which at first glance are identical to the source material. The numerous and visible staples display the fragility of their external appearance. Thus, the quotidian loses its utility, which had been its substance. Deprived of their functions, these commonplace items nevertheless retain their original appearance. But the names we give to them no longer correspond to what they are.
It’s nice to have you here in Berlin! Is it your first time here? How do you relate to the scene of this city? I saw in your 80’s bedroom a lot of late 70’s/early 80’s German/Berlin music references.
It’s my first time in Berlin. My stay is a little short and I feel I won’t have time to see much. I managed to walk around in a couple of places and I quickly realised the distances made strolling difficult. I will have to come back. When I prepared the show, I tried to imagine what my room would have looked like if I had lived in Berlin 40 years ago. However, it is not to be taken with exactitude. My bedroom from the 80s is a fantasy place, filled with many tributes to German music, but also with international references from different periods of history. It is an installation made of objects that also have their own autonomy. Photography is linked to memory and it often distorts reality. This is why I gave myself total freedom in the construction of the room.
Can you tell us a bit more about your desire of Trompe L’Oeil/ Trompe le monde? Is it the desire to recreate a reality that you are fully in charge of or more a fascination with photography as a medium?
I have never been a good photographer. When I started to work with photos I was often disappointed with the resulting images. Nevertheless, the 4/6 prints fascinated me. I find the idea of making an image physical magic. Building up three-dimensional worlds out of fragile prints is a game. I play with my own perception. I enjoy fooling myself and others.
The title of your exhibition makes us think about books of Žižek and Lacan theories. Is it the case?
This is the title that Raphaël Lévy gave to the exhibition. I don’t know if he is referring to Žižek or Lacan. You’d have to ask him. According to him, by remaking the shape of an object, I deprive it of its use. The condition of an object is its function, which is its reality (a refrigerator is a device with a cold-producing organ). The fake is its envelope. However, it is its envelope that gives us its identity. It is the fake of the real. He compares my work to the sunset or sunrise which is an illusion we all accept, knowing that the sun does not move. That’s one point of view I liked about my work. But there are other points of view I think. One could also say that it is a reality seen in a distorting mirror or in the reflections of water. The perception is ambivalent. My installations are multi-narrative.
With which artistic movement do you relate the most or feel closest to?
I feel close to Nouveau Realism, Pop Art, Abstract Impressionism, even Impressionism. My relationship to art was built on a belief that photography could capture the essence or stop time. I cultivate this illusion. Maybe that makes me an Art Brut artist.
I’ve read from your bio that you don’t live in an urban context and moved to the countryside a long time ago. Do you think not living in the city is an advantage point in reality?
It’s a big advantage because you can have more room in the countryside. The sculpture takes a big amount of space. I live in a house where peasants used to live together. There was room for the animals in the cave, the people lived upstairs, and the harvest was stored in the attic. Nowadays, I keep my work of art in the cave where they can mature like wine and I work in the attic. It’s funny when you think about it because the attic is the place where you keep your souvenirs.
What is your relation with Galerie aKonzept? How did the collaboration start?
In 2012, I exhibited some of my work at the Festival Images in Vevey, Switzerland. Raphaël saw the exhibition and contacted me to buy a pair of Moon Boots. It was while talking to Hermann Braun about my work that they asked me if I wanted to collaborate with them.
Which are your next projects?
-I’m preparing a show in Bordeaux: A small metal house from the colonies. It is filled with stories written on the inside walls. I worked on this project with Baptiste Amann who is a play writer.
-In Saint Gilles South of France: an interpretation of Icarus which is basically a plane crash.
-With galerie aKonzept this year : a « mise en abîme » of a galerie. The artist and the gallerists are represented discussing the status of art.
www.instagram.com/cyrilhatt // www.cyrilhatt.fr
www.instagram.com/galerieakonzept
