Jordan Derrien / Bushels of Goodness and Warmth
11.11 – 17.12.22
V.O Curations
56 Conduit Street
London, W1S 2YZ
V.O Curations is pleased to announce Bushels of Goodness and Warmth, a solo exhibition by Jordan Derrien. The exhibition opens 11 November and runs until 17 December 2022, with a private view taking place on 10 November 6-8pm.
Derrien’s starting point for the project was the 1957 novel La Jalousie (Jealousy) by French writer and filmmaker Alain Robbe-Grillet. The narrator, who never reveals himself, observes the interactions of his wife – only referred to as A… – and their neighbour Franck, suspecting a love affair between them. Throughout the novel, the narrator continuously replays his observations and suspicions, to the point that it becomes impossible to distinguish between his reality and fantasy.
A jalousie is also a type of window which protects the interior of a house from being seen or peeked into from the outside, at the same time maximising natural ventilation due to its slatted louvres. Combining the visual language of these architectural elements as well as
ready-mades, furniture and paintings, the works in the exhibition explore the act of looking,
viewing, reflecting and imagining.
Derrien mirrors the principles of Nouveau Roman, a French literary movement, which went
against the conventions of a traditional novel, offering instead a narrator’s obsessive review
of observed details and events. Through the variety of mediums and techniques, densely or
thinly applied paint and aluminium castings, the artist obstructs, reveals and frames views
by focusing on a form of a window.
Jordan Derrien (b. 1994, Caen, FR) lives and works in London. Within his practice, he
develops a permeable and reversible relationship between the interior and the exterior, the
similar and the identical, the public and the private. His work invests a form of domesticity
and redefines our relationship to the liminal.
Recent exhibitions include Galerie Anne Barrault, Paris (2022), FRAC Normandie Caen
(2021), Palais des Beaux-arts, Paris (2021), Haus Wien, Vienna (2021), ArtLacuna, London
(2021), W, Pantin (2021), LAXART, Los Angeles (2019), Media Naranja, Marseille (2018),
Swimming Pool, Sofia (2018).
Located in central London, V.O Curations is an arts organisation dedicated to supporting
emerging and lesser represented artists, curators and researchers through an innovative and
critically-engaged programme. Founded in 2018 by Zina Vieille and Nnamdi Obiekwe, V.O
Curations believes that to curate is to approach all aspects of our programme - residencies,
exhibitions, events, publications and studio spaces – with care. V.O Curations promotes diverse voices and narratives across all of our activities and projects. Our programme aims to facilitate artistic exchange, socially-focused discourse, knowledge production and experimentation. We are focused on cultivating a sense of community, promoting collaboration and encouraging active learning rather than passive viewing.