Disco Ball (Ether)
Jeanne Susplugas
‘Blending art and science often involves using technologies, but my relationship with science is above all about perceptions and emotions.’ - Jeanne Susplugas in an interview with Institut Français
Disco Ball (Ether) is a sculpture constructed from wood and reflective glass. The shape represents the chemical formula of ether: C4H10O. The work is part of a series, in which the artist, originating from a family of pharmaceutical researchers, worked with different formulas from alprazolam and chloroform to ethanol. The substances all have a common effect: they influence our behaviour and generate an altered state of consciousness.
Disco Ball (Ether) references the links between substance use and club culture, whilst at the same time questioning forms of addiction and dependence that are widespread and largely accepted within society. Dancing underneath the Disco Ball (Ether), we are carried away by the strokes of light and influenced by the effect of a product, whatever it may be.
2019 - disco ball installation, 2870 x 1270 x h1420cm, 30kg, polystyrene & mirror
Courtesy the artist
Jeanne Susplugas
°1974, Montpellier, France
Jeanne Susplugas' practice comprises drawings, photography, video works, installations and virtual reality. In her work, she consistently embodies her views on addiction, loneliness and alienation and proposes reflections on the failures in our society, with a sharp and critical eye and a sense of humour. The result is often as attractive as it is unsettling. Jeanne Susplugas studied art history at Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne. Her work has been shown globally at institutions such as KW in Berlin (DE), la Villa Medicis in Rome (IT), le Palais de Tokyo in Paris (FR), CAB-Centre d'art Bastille in Grenoble (FR), the Museum of Modern Art in St Etienne (FR), Emily Harvey Foundation in New York (US), Margaret Lawrence Gallery in Melbourne (AU) and Galerie Valérie Bach/La Patinoire royale in Brussels (BE). In 2015, she was appointed "Coup de coeur du Jury" at the Palais de Tokyo, as part of the Art & Care prize. She also won the Opline prize, the first award for digital contemporary art, and the Philips-Artsper prize. Jeanne Susplugas currently lives and works in Paris. She is represented by Galerie Valérie Bach/La Patinoire Royale, Brussels.
Portrait © Eva Georgy