Between artist or traveler, Émilie Bitauld chose not to choose, her journey will be ours, between human and graphic exploration, between sensually hypnotic watercolors and musical and illuminated globe-trotting paintings. A journey through the arts, for an artist-researcher who is impressed by her ability to soak up and invest new languages between figurative painting, inspired Outsiders, procreative Big Bangs and conceptual installations.

T.C. What does Ginkgo evoke for you?

"I fell in love with Ginkgo twenty years ago. Originally from Brittany, I came to study in Troyes. I was fascinated by this large tree that gave its name to the residence. With this park, these are dream conditions for an artist. After a workshop in Paris I wanted a change of scenery, I moved back to Troyes and I was lucky enough to have access to this workshop. "

T.C. We feel a lot about this idea of travel in your creations, the workshop is a home base to better explore the world?

"When I was little I always said I wanted to be a painter and traveler, today the term may seem a bit outdated, besides I do many other things like installations... Travel is a central theme but it's a bit of a trompe l'oeil, in this series you would think of travel but they are only lamp posts, the title is "Lampposts", I've been taking pictures of lamp posts for 20 years, in about thirty countries, and it also follows the ups and downs of my life, I haven't just done art. I spent a lot of time in Egypt, I did residencies in Brazil, Rio, China, a stay in Denmark, or Thailand... "

It is thus a recurring element, like an anchor but which varies especially by the changes of compositions, of glance, where finally the destination leaves place with a feeling, a systemic glance more than with a postcard, like in this very dark and vibrating almost monochrome where one guesses almost the stars of Van Gogh in a chavirating sky...

"It was a night in the Marais... rather vibrant indeed! Often I use rock songs as titles, there are also references to American thrillers... it's quite varied. "

T.C. And there is a symbol in this lamp post... ?

"There are many reasons, I started this series when I was at the Beaux Arts... but for example one of my last exhibitions was called Respublica, there were only lamp posts, it is at the same time a public thing but also the image of our republic, it is an object that we must choose together for each other, and if we see them less and less, they see us more and more, with cameras fixed on it... it can also be a Cambodian lamp post made of recycled plastic bottles, very clear on a pontoon. These are very contemporary things, current issues, mixed with graphic interpretations. At the starting point there was an idea of interior lighting. I wanted to paint landscapes, but with our cinematographic approach to things I needed something to happen, without it becoming anecdotal. An allegorical side, with its own light, but without anything esoteric, it was more a questioning of design, and what this object can say about us. "

T.C. What about projects?

Sébastien Rouet and I are inaugurating a contemporary art gallery in Reims on September 20, the A2pasdusacre gallery, which has two locations, La Résidence and A2pasdusacre, right next to the cathedral.