The Eyes, The Fish, 2023

For the past fifty years or so, visual artist Bertrand Gadenne (1951-2024) has been exploring various forms of photography—particularly projection—in his work. Inspired by our natural environment, his work invites us to reconsider our relationship with the world. 

Since 1990, Bertrand Gadenne has been exploring this phenomenon of appearances in public spaces through video projections. His “intrusive” installations of moving images are custom-designed for specific locations and their architecture, transforming them into nocturnal theaters of the fantastic and the unusual. 

The Institute’s main courtyard comes to life: as a building gazes at you (The Eyes, 2023), the facade of the mansion is transformed into an aquarium (Pisces , 2023). While these interventions provide an opportunity to invite the animal world into urban spaces, their ambivalence prompts reflection: we are no longer merely observers; we are also being observed.