• fr
  • de
  • en

Clervaux - cité de l'image

  • Exhibitions
  • Artist in residence
  • Collection
  • Archives
  • Info
    • Contact
    • About
    • Practical information
    • Support
    • Follow us
    • Clervaux
ok

Clervaux - cité de l'image

  • Exhibitions
  • Artist in residence
  • Collection
  • Archives
  • Info
    • Contact
    • About
    • Practical information
    • Support
    • Follow us
    • Clervaux
  • fr
  • de
  • en
WHITE NIGHT, Le Caire, Egypte 2001 © Gilles Coulon / Tendance Floue

White Night

Gilles Coulon

10/07/2020 - 09/04/2021
Outdoor
Le jardin de Lélise, montée de l'église

Light is a global phenomenon. In its natural cycle, it is subject to the laws of a rhythmic iteration, but in an artificial context, it defies all laws.

In contrast to its natural counterpart, industrial light is a convenient and easily controlled source of illumination. The subtle differences in intensity and rich colours observable during the authentic transition from day to night are missing in the human-created scenario. Think of a universally applicable system presented in a linear form: the neon tube.

The fluorescent tube has become for Gilles Coulon the centre of his photographic series. Starting in the year 2000, he has been on a global journey to analyse its visual effects.

Neon light conveys its own symbolism. It illuminates transitory and purely functional spaces and distinguishes them as such. The characteristic light defines the mood of a place. The resulting atmosphere seems both lyrical and starkly monotonous. The premises - waiting rooms, supermarkets, train platforms or bus stations - appear impersonal.

While the neon gas can effectively light up every décor, its effect is not illuminating. Gilles Coulon shows the object in all its superfluous splendour and unexpected charm. "White Night" banishes the darkness and snatches the stars out of the nightly sky. Can neon lights inspire humans as the moonlight used to do before it had to cede the scene?

Text : A. Meyer / Clervaux - cité de l'image, English translation by Nadia Linden


www.tendancefloue.net/gillescoulon

WHITE NIGHT, Niamey, Niger 2000 © Gilles Coulon / Tendance Floue
Vue d'exposition de Gilles Coulon © CDI 2020
Vue d'exposition de Gilles Coulon © CDI 2020
Vue d'exposition de Gilles Coulon © Christof Weber (détail) (CDI 2020)
Vue d'exposition de Gilles Coulon © Christof Weber (détail) (CDI 2020)
Vue d'exposition de Gilles Coulon © CDI 2020
Vue d'exposition de Gilles Coulon © CDI 2020
Subscribe to newsletter

Clervaux - cité de l'image

  • Maison du Tourisme et de la Culture
    11, Grand-rue
    L-9710 Clervaux
    Luxembourg
  • Tél.: +352 27 800-283
  • Fax: +352 27 800 904
  • info@clervauximage.lu
  • Follow us on Facebook