Robin in the Trees
diary of an urban adventure

Artistic statement


My work revolves around a performative practice that consists of perching myself in the trees of the city, establishing a naive and spontaneous presence. This simple dispositive, this poetic image allows me to question the notions of productivity and subjectivity, by developing a mode of urban sociability freed from power and merchant relationships, outside the logics of capital.

The impulse that guides me is an act of revolt against the forces that dominate the mode of existence imposed by the current neoliberal economical and ideological paradigm1. In the heart of the city, I trace a line of active resistance inscribed in a field of relationality distinct from the mechanics of power. Simply, it is a search for freedom.

Without label, indulged in contemplation, my character discovers through his encounters the richness, tensions, challenges and diversity of our cities and their inhabitants. I then derive from it stories, a mixture of observations and reflections inspired by my implantation in a localized social fabric, supported by my theoretical and philosophical readings. As a whole, these stories constitute a sort of diary, the narrative deconstruction of my own subjectivity.

The themes that naturally emerge throughout my journey include discrimination and gentrification, the notions of subjectivation2, assimilation3, sovereignty4 and collectivity. Borrowing from different registers, my writings are accessible but without compromise in the face of the complex world they depict. Through a study of the bourgeois condition, I’m rejecting the capitalist axiom in order to defend a radically internationalist and egalitarian line of thought.

My agenda is feminist, intersectional5, anti-capitalist and decolonial6. My aim is to make these ideas approachable and extend their audience. Among my strategies are the use of proximity and oral transmission. My presence in the streets is an invitation to discover and discuss these notions often confined to elitist circles. Through accessibility and dialogue, I cautiously take parts of my audience outside of their comfort zone, to raise awareness and curiosity in a benevolent way.

This work develops in parallel with my interrogations on the ethics of creation7, the legitimization of the artist8 and the production of knowledge9 in today’s society. These issues emerge and intertwine in my writings, sketching out an incarnate philosophical discourse concerned with the political stakes of art.

My texts are available on this website in French and English. I may share them in paper format when I meet an audience, but they are never sold.

my lectures and performances are adapted to the settings where they take place, technically and formally. This can range from an intimate reverie in the grass to an ambitious theatrical setup with sound, video and light work. In all cases, they are followed by a phase of conversation with the audience.

It is also imperative that they are free, open to all and advertised in an inclusive and considered manner. My intervention on this last point, based on my experience in communication for the cultural sector10, seeks to reach new audiences and to shake up the entre-soi characteristic of bourgeois11 artistic institutions. Without any misplaced pretensions, this intervention is done according to its contextual relevance and the time I can invest in it.

My performances are always non-remunerated, on the one hand, to allow the institutions that wish to welcome me to do so independently of their financial capacities, and on the other hand to develop a mode of operation where the free pursuit of my work is not determined by the political issues related to the financing of culture and the arts12.

The financing of my practice is based on the patronage model. This principle allows me to keep my artistic research free from any production imperative and to choose my partners in accordance with my ethical and political values. I am aware of the paradoxes inherent in the choice of patronage as a method of financing. For lack of a better way, this is the model that provides me with the independence and security necessary for the pursuit of a fundamentally anti-capitalist practice.

Patronage is an incentive to support me in the long term, including for institutions that could not integrate me into their programming but wish to support my work. Non-monetary donations are also favored, as well as the use of currencies independent of state and banking systems.

Robin13

  1. For a sharp philosophical perspective on the current state of subjectivity in neoliberalism, I strongly recommend the reading of Brian Massumi, especially The Power at the End of the Economy (2015) ↩︎

  2. See for example, Michel Foucault, The subject and Power (1982) ↩︎

  3. Here I’m talking about capitalist assimilation. For an essential reading on this topic, Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, The Anti-Œdipus (1972) – this is one of the books that can change your life. ↩︎

  4. see Georges Bataille, La Souveraineté ↩︎

  5. Until I find a better source, this wikipedia page will do the trick. ↩︎

  6. The question of racism and decolonization is a major challenge to the questioning of capitalism. For meaningful insight on this question, see the work of Olivier Marboeuf. ↩︎

  7. For this aspect of my reflection, I’m mostly inspired by the work of Paul Audi. See for example, Créer : Introduction à l’esth/éthique (2010) ↩︎

  8. Again, see Paul Audi’s discours sur la légitimation actuelle de l’artiste (2012), and Nathalie Heinich’s Face à l’art contemporain (2003) ↩︎

  9. for a very acid and straightforward take on the current knowledge industry, I recommend this short article from 2018 by Hammam Aldouri and Scott Jenkins on Damage. ↩︎

  10. I worked as a graphic designer in a studio for a few years, mostly for institutional clients like theaters and cultural centers. There I took part in the development of many successful communication campaigns, this expertise I still value nowadays. ↩︎

  11. Here I’m using the term bourgeois in a litteral sense. It’s not a mean word ! ↩︎

  12. It’s not an insider secret that art that doesn’t fit into the commercial or the entertainment model is struggling more and more to get financed. It’s a very complex topic but as a quick act, you could read and sign this petition. ↩︎

  13. As aesthetically pleasing as it is, my last name which I’m forced to use for administrative and legal matters comes as a quite heavy patriarchal baggage that I’m not so fond of using as a vehicle for my work’s communication. On the other hand, I enjoy my first name as it comes with an evident evocation of autonomy and civil disobedience, as well as being gender fluid. Therefore it’s just Robin! ↩︎