Born in 1989 and based in Paris, Caroline Corbasson explores our place in the universe through the prism of the scientific and collective imaginations associated with astrophysics and cosmology. Her research questions the ambivalent nature of human knowledge and the way in which scientific discoveries have renewed our apprehension of the cosmos, space-time and our understanding of our origins. On the borderline between metaphysics and science, she peers into the distance between the scientific observation of space and the immediate observation of the sky, from which our cosmic representations, often imbued with fantasy, derive. To depict the movements of celestial bodies, Caroline Corbasson uses silver photography, charcoal drawings and digital enlargements made possible by the electron microscope, linking the archaism of the mineral with sophisticated technologies. Oscillating between a quasi-scientific and documentary approach, and a sensitive quest, she weaves in her work multiple correspondences between the infinitely large, whose evolution goes back to a pre-cultural period, and the infinitely small, the molecular scale made perceptible thanks to scientific instruments. She thus draws our attention to the existence of entities and phenomena of such vast or infinitesimal space and time that they baffle our understanding. Her collaborations with nationally and internationally renowned scientific institutions (CNRS; CNES in Paris; Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille; Paranal Observatory in Chile) allow her to immerse herself in the daily life of these high places of scientific study in order to capture their singular atmosphere. The experimental films made during these immersions invite us to go beyond an anthropocentric perspective by opening up to the multiple connections between perception, scale, space and time.
Caroline Corbasson graduated from the St Martins School in London and the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Her work has been presented in France and internationally in numerous institutions such as the Centre Pompidou, Paris, the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Newcastle; the Song- Won Art Center, Seoul; the Crac, Sète; the Panacée Moco, Montpellier; the Frac Provence-Alpes Côte d’Azur, Marseille, the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie, Paris, the EPFL Pavilions, Lausanne.
SOLO SHOWS
2022
PHYSICS, EPFL PAVILIONS, LAUSANNE, CH.
PROSPECTIF CINÉMA, CENTRE POMPIDOU, PARIS, FR.
2021
LUNARAMA, PENGERKATU 7 TYÖHUONE, HELSINKI, FR.
2020
POLLEN, GALERIE LAURENCE BERNARD, GENEVA, CH.
ELLIPSE, CENTRE D’ART CONTEMPORAIN LA MARÉCHALERIE, VERSAILLES, FR.
2019
À TA RECHERCHE, FRAC PROVENCE-ALPES-CÔTE D’AZUR, MARSEILLE, FR.
LUNARAMA, CITÉ DES SCIENCES ET DE L’INDUSTRIE, PARIS, FR.
2018
SUPERSYMÉTRIE, LE PARVIS, CENTRE D’ART CONTEMPORAIN, IBOS, FR.
SYNOPSIS, GALERIE DU 10, INSTITUT FRANÇAIS DE MADRID, ES.
2017
SIDEREAL, MONTEVERITA, PARIS, FR.
2016
POUSSIÈRES PRIMITIVES, RESIDENCY AT VILLA BOESCH, LE POULIGUEN, FR.
2015
EMPTY PIXELS, GALERIE LAURENCE BERNARD, GENEVA, CH.
LES CIEUX-CAVERNES, GALERIE L’INLASSABLE, PARIS, FR.
2013
ATRIA, ECOLE NATIONALE SUPÉRIEURE DES BEAUX-ARTS, PARIS, FR.
2012
CONSTELLATION, GALERIE ANTONINE CATZEFLIS, PARIS, FR.
SELECTED GROUP SHOWS
2024
VAN GOGH ET LES ÉTOILES, FONDATION VINCENT VAN GOGH, ARLES, FR (FORTHCOMING).
FUTURE IS NOW, LE PARVIS, TARBES, FR (FORTHCOMING).
DESIGN SEDIMENTS, HUIDENCLUB, ROTTERDAM, NL.
2023
SPACE IS THE PLACE, MUDAC, LAUSANNE, CH.
PRENDRE LE SOLEIL, HANGAR Y, MEUDON, FR.
L’ART DANS LES CHAPELLES, PONTIVY, FR.
BACHELARD CONTEMPORAIN, LA FAB, PARIS, FR.
LES FUSÉES REDESCENDENT-ELLES SUR TERRE ?, LE POINT COMMUN, ANNECY, FR.
IN THIS WORLD, I’M A STRANGER, HIFLOW, GENEVA, CH.
2022
STELLAR, HIKARIE 8/ CUBE, TOKYO, JP.
ENTRE, CENTRO CULTURAL LOS ARENAL, CANTABRIA, ES.
I’VE SEEN THINGS YOU PEOPLE WOULDN’T BELIEVE, FRAC CORSICA, CORTI, FR.
BORDER LINE, PAVILLON VENDÔME, CLICHY, FR.
2021
COSMOS, CID GRAND-HORNU, HORNU, BE.
COSMICOMIX, GALERIE ART-CADE, MARSEILLE, FR.
2020
LAPS, THÉÂTRE FORUM, MEYRIN, CH.
EMBRASSER DES ESPACES INFINIS, HIFLOW, GENEVA, CH.
SPACE WORKS – BACKLIGHT 2020, TAMPERE ART MUSEUM, TAMPERE, FI.
RECONFIGURATION DES PARTICULES, BEL ORDINAIRE, PAU, FR.
2019
LA MESURE DU MONDE, MRAC, SÉRIGNAN, FR.
IMMATÉRIALITÉ, TOPOGRAPHIE DE L’ART, PARIS, FR.
SPACE IS THE PLACE, BNKR, MUNICH, DE.
2018
CORPS CÉLESTES, CHÂTEAU DE GRUYÈRES, GRUYÈRES, CH.
CRASH TEST, LA PANACÉE MOCO, MONTPELLIER, FR.
2017
EXPLORE, CAC, NÎMES, FR.
PIERRES DE VISION, CAIRN CENTRE D’ART, DIGNE-LES-BAINS, FR.
INFINIMENT LE PAYS DES ETOILES, CENTRE D’ART DU PAVILLON BLANC, COLOMIERS, FR.
2016
ATHANOR, CRAC, SÈTE, FR.
SOUS LE SOLEIL EXACTEMENT, CAB, GRENOBLE, FR.
SAMPLES, MUSÉE DES ARTS ET MÉTIERS, PARIS, FR.
2015
NEW CARTOGRAPHERS, SONGWON ART CENTER, SEOUL, KR.
DARKFRAME/DEEPFIELD, BREESE LITTLE, LONDON, UK.
IRIS TIME, L’INLASSABLE MUSEUM, NEW-YORK, US.
TO FILL A VOID, APT GALLERY, LONDON, UK.
2014
BIENNALE DU DESSIN, CITÉ INTERNATIONALE DES ARTS, PARIS, FR.
LA RECHERCHE, BOILER ROOM GALLERY, OSLO, NO.
PSEUDO-MUSEOLOGY, DALLA ROSA, LONDON, UK.
POSSIBLES D’UN MONDE FRAGMENTÉ, PALAIS DES BEAUX ARTS, PARIS, FR.
SYSTEMULTRA, TOKYO, JP.
THEY USED TO CALL IT THE MOON, BALTIC CENTRE, NEWCASTLE, UK.
PULSAR, OSSERVATORIO ASTROFISICO DI TORINO, IT.
EDUCATION
2008 – 2013
MASTER OF FINE ARTS, ECOLE NATIONALE SUPÉRIEURE DES BEAUX-ARTS, PARIS, FR.
2011 – 2012
BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS, CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS, LONDON, UK.
AWARDS, GRANTS
2024
NOMINEE, DRAWING NOW ART FAIR AWARD.
2021
LAUREATE, MONDES NOUVEAUX, FRENCH MINISTRY OF CULTURE.
2020
LAUREATE, LAFAYETTE OPEN CALL 2021.
2019
FINALIST, AUDI TALENTS.
LAUREATE, UN IMMEUBLE UNE OEUVRE, EMERIGE.
2016
FINALIST, PRIX DÉCOUVERTE DU PALAIS DE TOKYO.
PRODUCTION GRANT, HENRY / LES AMIS DES BEAUX-ARTS.
2015
NOMINEE, PRIX SCIENCES PO POUR L’ART CONTEMPORAIN.
2014
NOMINEE, PRIX ARTE/BEAUX-ARTS MAGAZINE.
NOMINEE, PRIX ICART.
2012
GRANT, COLIN-LEFRANCQ.
2011
LAUREATE, PRIX DE DESSIN DIAMOND.
MONOGRAPHS
HEAT, CAROLINE CORBASSON / ANDREA MONTANO, AREA BOOKS, PARIS, 2023
À TA RECHERCHE, CAROLINE CORBASSON, VISIONS PARTICULIÈRES PRESS, PARIS, JUIN 2019.
SIDEREAL, CAROLINE CORBASSON, MONTEVERITA PUBLISHING, PARIS, 2017.
OBSERVATOIRE, CAROLINE CORBASSON, SELF-PUBLISHED, 2013
COLLECTIONS
SUN (2023), FONDATION CAB.
FOR A VOID (2015), GREENLINE FOUNDATION.
MESSENGER (2019), COLLECTION DU CENTRE NATIONAL D’ETUDES SPATIALES.
JWST (2015), LABORATOIRE D’ASTROPHYSIQUE DE MARSEILLE.
COLLECTION OF WORKS, LA LAITERIE, COLLECTION GARANCE PRIMAT, DOMAINE DES ÉTANGS.
ANOMALIA (2013), VESTFOSSEN KUNSTLABORATORIUM.
DISC (2015), MUSÉE DES BEAUX-ARTS DE LA CHAUX-DE-FONDS.
PUBLIC COMMISSIONS
MIRRORS (2023), UN IMMEUBLE UNE ŒUVRE, CERGY, FR.
COLORSCAPE (2021), UN IMMEUBLE UNE ŒUVRE, RUE LAFAYETTE, PARIS, FR
SPIN (2020), UN IMMEUBLE UNE ŒUVRE, CLAMART, FR
RESIDENCIES
2023
Fondation cab, saint-Paul de Vence, FR.
2021 – 2022
EPFL, LAUSANNE, CH.
2021 – 2022
DOMAINE DES ÉTANGS, MASSIGNAC, FR
2018 – 2019
CNES / CNRS – LABORATOIRE D’ASTROPHYSIQUE DE MARSEILLE, Marseille, FR.
2016
VILLA BOESCH, LE POULIGUEN, FR.
CATALOGUES
MONDES NOUVEAUX, ÉDITIONS DES BEAUX-ARTS DE PARIS, PARIS, 2023
L’ART DANS LES CHAPELLES, ÉDITION L’ART DANS LES CHAPELLES, PONTIVY, 2023
TRIGG DAVID, TOUCHING THE DEEP FIELD, SEISMA, LONDON, 2021.
FEIREISS LUKAS, SPACE IS THE PLACE, SPECTOR, LEIPZIG, 2020.
AZIMI ROXANA, LE GUIDE HAZAN DE L’ART CONTEMPORAIN, ÉDITIONS HAZAN, PARIS, 2018.
CRASH TEST, BOURRIAUD NICOLAS (DIR.), LA PANACÉE – MOCO, MONTPELLIER, 2018.
UNE CHOSE POUR UNE AUTRE, FLAMMARION LAURE (DIR.), HONORÉ VISCONTI, PARIS, 2018.
POUSSIÈRES D’ÉTOILES, MIKAELOFF HERVÉ, PRIMAT GARANCE, LA LAITERIE, MASSIGNAC, 2018.
UNIVERS, PHAIDON (DIR.), ÉDITIONS PHAIDON, LONDON, 2017.
POUSSIÈRES PRIMITIVES, CORBASSON CAROLINE, MAZIÈRE VICTOR, MUSÉE BERNARD BOESCH, LE POULIGUEN, 2016.
NEW CARTOGRAPHERS, SIM SOMI (DIR.), MOVINGBOOK, SEOUL, 2015.
POSSIBLES D’UN MONDE FRAGMENTÉ, BOURRIAUD NICOLAS (DIR.), BEAUX-ARTS DE PARIS ÉDITIONS, PARIS, 2014.
DIPLOMÉS 2013, BOURRIAUD NICOLAS (DIR.), BEAUX-ARTS DE PARIS ÉDITIONS, PARIS, 2014.
PRESS
MADAME FIGARO, L’ART ET LE COSMOS, DECEMBER 2023
WILD ALCHEMY JOURNAL, AETHER EDITION, JULY 2023
ALEXANDRA GILLIAMS, “CAROLINE CORBASSON, TRACING THE STARS AND EXPLORING THE MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE”, CLOT MAGAZINE, 17 JUNE 2022.
FLINOIS LAURÈNE, “15 TALENTS À SUIVRE, DU FIGURATIF À L’ABSTRAIT”, BEAUX ARTS MAGAZINE, 10 NOVEMBER 2021.
“SPACE ARTIST #2 : CAROLINE CORBASSON QUAND L’ART SE NOURRIT DE LA SCIENCE”, ARIANE GROUP, SEPTEMBER 2021.
LISOWSKI PAULINE, “ELLIPSE”, ART PRESS, NOVEMBER 2020.
STEHLI JEAN-SÉBASTIEN, “CAROLINE CORBASSON. ARTISTE ÉCLAIRÉE”, MADAME FIGARO, SEPTEMBER 2020.
MARIN TERO, “CAROLINE CORBASSON, LOIHTII TIETEESTÄ TAIDETTA, TAHDET JA VARUUS”, FEBRUARY 2020.
DUMONT ÉTIENNE, “LE CHÂTEAU PROPOSE DES ‘’CORPS CÉLESTES’’ CONTEMPORAINS”, BILAN, 11 AUGUST 2018.
JEFFERSON SELVE JOHN (DIR.), “DEUX MILLE DIX-HUIT PAR CAROLINE CORBASSON”, POSSESSION IMMÉDIATE, 2018.
MORAIS PEDRO, “LES MATÉRIAUX VIVANTS DE ‘’CRASH TEST’’”, LE QUOTIDIEN DE L’ART, 14 FEBRUARY 2018.
AZIMI ROXANA, “CAROLINE CORBASSON, PASSIONNÉE DE PARTICULES FINES”, M LE MONDE, DECEMBER 2017.
HATHERILL CHRIS, “ART, SCI-FI & THE ATACAMA DESERT”, VICE, 10 FEBRUARY 2017.
GAVARD EMMANUEL, “CAROLINE CORBASSON, LA TÊTE DANS LES ÉTOILES”, STRATÉGIES, 02 MAY 2017.
GUEDJ SARA, “CAROLINE CORBASSON, OF SPACE AND STARS”, HLOW.PARIS, NOVEMBER 2017.
ODDO EMMANUELLE, “CAROLINE CORBASSON. CONJURATION PAR LA POUSSIÈRE”, LE CHASSIS, SPRING 2017.
KUCERA ANDREA, “ART GENÈVE: VON FABELWESEN UND KUPFERMINEN”, NEUE BÜRCHER BEITUNG, 4 FEBRUARY 2016.
KERCHOUCHE DALILA, “CAROLINE CORBASSON [...] L’APESANTEUR ET LA GRÂCE”, MADAME FIGARO, 2015.
JACOB JULIETTE, “BALLADES COSMOLOGIQUES DE CAROLINE CORBASSON”, CURIOSITÉ GÉNÉRALE, 2015.
MAZIÈRE VICTOR, “CAROLINE CORBASSON, LA NUIT EST ROUGE COMME LE PÉTROLE”, LE CHASSIS, 2015.
MONTPEZAT CHARLOTTE, “ART CONTEMPORAIN : LA RELÈVE AU FÉMININ”, LE HUFFINGTON POST, 28 AUGUST 2015.
STEHLI JEAN-SÉBASTIEN, “CAROLINE CORBASSON. CRÉATURE CÉLESTE”, MADAME FIGARO, 6 MARCH 2015.
VERHAEGHE JULIEN, “NON, LA NUIT N’EST PAS SI NOIRE”, BRANDED MAGAZINE, N° 10, MARCH-MAY 2015.
“LES MONDES MULTIPLES DE CAROLINES CORBASSON”, MADAME FIGARO, JUNE 2015.
“PIXELS”, TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE, 14 NOVEMBER 2015.
MARTIN FRANÇOIS-RENÉ, “L’ATLAS DES OUBLIS”, JUNE 2013.