Stéphanie Lagarde’s work focuses on the occupation of space and memory. It researches strategies performed to maintain and challenge control over actual and virtual territories.
Stéphanie Lagarde (born in Toulouse, FR in 1982) is a visual artist and filmmaker based in Paris. Her works deal with strategies of occupation and the organization of space throughout systems of objects, languages and human beings, performed to maintain and challenge control over actual and virtual territories. Echoing ancient mnemonic techniques, Lagarde assembles conflictual narratives out of sound, image and text from real and virtual, old and new, historical and fictional sources.
Her works are shown internationally in venues such as Plato Ostrava, Czech Republic; Kunstmuseum Bonn, Germany; Frei_raum Q21 MuseumsQuartier Vienna, Austria; Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia; Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst, Aachen, Germany; Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne, Australia; Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France.
Her videos have been showed in festivals such as IFFR (Rotterdam), BISFF (Beijing), Videonale (Bonn), Transmediale (Berlin), EMAF (Osnabrück), DOKLeipzig, Kasseler Dokfest, IFFF (Dortmund), November Festival (London). Stéphanie Lagarde won the International competition award of Short Waves 2019 (Poznan, Poland) and the 2019 Grand Prize at BIEFF Festival (Bucharest, Romania).
Déploiements (Deployments)
HD Video / 16:14 min / 2018
‘Déploiements’ deals with the practice of control, both physically and symbolically. The video draws a parallel between two types of simulation: a team of fighter pilots mentally preparing for an air show, and a piece of software that simulates the behaviour of a crowd of protesters. Power is presented as a game of being seen and being invisible.
Rocky tales of occupation
HD Video / 15:00 min / 2019
‘Rocky tales of occupation’ guides the viewer through an underground depot of historic and imaginary relics, from the Alhambra to Romeo & Juliet’s balcony. While the voice-over strings together backstory after backstory, a parallel history emerges from the darkness, shaped by fantasy, boredom, faith and power.