Jane Bidet is developing a creative project centred on the box and its symbolism with a group of around ten residents at the FAS (Foyer d'Accueil Spécialisé) of the Afapei Sud Alsace association in Hirsingue. After discovering Jane Bidet’s ceramic pieces and collections of objects in her studio, the residents are creating a box made of paper porcelain, which may or may not be inspired by a personal box: a jewellery box, a seed box, a USB key storage box, and so on. The workshops are punctuated by discussions, allowing everyone to reflect on memories, share a passion or interests whilst familiarising themselves with the techniques of shaping and modelling. During these conversations, topics such as refuge, collecting and intimacy are explored. As the box takes shape, each participant’s personality is revealed. The pieces created by the participants will be exhibited at a public presentation at CRAC Alsace on Thursday, December 3, from 5 pm.

Jane Bidet graduated from the Haute école des arts du Rhin (HEAR) in Mulhouse in 2023 and from the Centre de formation des plasticien·es intervenant·es in 2024. She develops a multidisciplinary practice centred on the act of collecting and the sentimental value of objects. She works with found objects that she keeps. Often small and outdated, they embody an aesthetic of the passing of time: paper yellowed by age or posters faded by the sun. Some of these items are given to her, others are picked up or found at flea markets, but they all form a collection which she meticulously archives by scanning them. It is a repository of materials which she uses for both creation and inspiration. Since April 2024, Jane Bidet has been based at Motoco, an artists’ residence situated on the former DMC site in Mulhouse.

This project is supported by the Collectivité européenne d'Alsace.