Julien Creuzet is the 2021 BMW Art Journey Winner. He was chosen, unanimously, by an international jury from a shortlist of three artists represented by galleries that were selected for Art Basel in Hong Kong earlier this year.
Creuzet, who is represented by High Art Gallery in Paris, will return to his homeland of the Antilles Islands in the Caribbean – it’s a place he refers to as “the heart of my imagination.” Throughout his creative journey, the artist will demonstrate his concern for the environment and the spirit of sharing.
In Martinique, he’ll work closely with a community of art students, musicians and filmmakers on hybrid sculptures of Antillean fauna, plastic as well as other industrial objects. In Guadeloupe, Creuzet will capture underwater and drone scenes. He’ll also meet with cultural actors to collect materials and music for a Caribbean road movie that’ll be augmented by poetry and 3-D art.
Frank Walter – A Retrospective, 2020 Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt am Main, Germany Installation view
Photo: Courtesy of Julien Creuzet and High Art, Paris
“Julien Creuzet’s journey is not a trip to a distant and unknown destination, but rather a return to a familiar place — a place of family, youth, and education,” explains the jury. “The project rethinks mobility, the climate crisis, and societal shifts in the wake of Covid-19. Focusing on a single location, Creuzet underscores the importance of the local and of reconnecting with one’s roots. His journey combines histories with fantasies, and ancestral connections with cosmopolitanism. We were impressed by the generosity of his project, how it makes space for other artists — a gesture of care and humility that’s in keeping with our healing moment.”
The BMW Art Journey is an ongoing partnership between Art Basel and BMW to support emerging and mid-career artists worldwide. The initiative was launched in 2015.
Follow Julien’s journey on BMW Group Culture social channels.
Editor
Vogue Hong KongCredit
Lead image: Courtesy of Julien Creuzet and High Art, Paris
