In 2011, Franck Leibovici embarked on a research dealing with artists' "forms of life" and "ecosystems" produced by an artistic practice. With the help of Les Laboratoires d'Aubervilliers, he contacted artists in order to ask them to produce a document, with no formal criteria, that would illustrate this "ecology of an artwork". The results of this research will be published in September 2012 with the publication of an atlas with stickers and a series of public events at Les Laboratoires d'Aubervilliers and in partner venues.

Updates about the project are on www.desformesdevie.org
Purchase the atlas/stickers on www.questions-theoriques.com


Photo: Christelle Peltier


- on ecology of our everyday practices -

Dear ______

We are writing to inform you of an unusual survey we are launching about "forms of life" and "collections of practices." The attached letter is the first step toward getting the message out. It will act as a vehicle for this inquiry.

The idea behind this project was born two years ago of Franck Leibovici and Christine Macel's discussions paresseuses. Well, those lazy discussions have finally born fruit, and the Laboratoires d'Aubervilliers have invited Franck Leibovici to develop this collective inquiry into the ecology of artistic practices over the 2011-2012 year.

We think something important is at stake in this project. Its purpose is to produce alternative images of the creative process, to reveal an ecology of the artwork that is generally overlooked in our understanding of an artist's work. That is why we would be delighted to count you among the contributors to this project. You may use drawing, photo, film, text or sound in your response. The medium is not important. Sketches, blueprints, protocols, manuscripts, texts, and other works are all welcome.

Please send your documents at les Laboratoires d’Aubervilliers, 41 rue Lécuyer, 93300 Aubervilliers, France.
For any large format or other submission needing special transportation, please contact us beforehand.

Submissions will be collected until March 2011.

We eagerly await your responses.

Best regards,

Virginie Bobin, Grégory Castera, Alice Chauchat, Claire Harsany, Franck Leibovici, Anne Millet, Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez


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Atlas copublished by Les Laboratoires d’Aubervilliers and Questions Théoriques. Project realized with the support of the Fondation nationale des arts graphiques et plastiques, the Fonds de dotation agnès b. and the Maison rouge.
In collaboration with the Archives of Aubervilliers, dOCUMENTA(13), the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-arts, the École supérieure d'arts de l'agglomération d’Annecy, the Espace Khiasma, the galerie du jour agnès b. and the Tate Modern.