Marion Balac (b.1984) is graduate of ENSBA Lyon and Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne. Her work uses different media like video, photography, drawing, screenshots and websites. Collecting data, images and objects, she elaborates new situations and fictions: moving forward through scrolls and clicks as an online tourist, she travels within these dynamic playgrounds, bringing out their incongruities, diverting their uses to poetic ends or for social experiments. Landscapes and objects are sorted, modified and shaped, as to become the starting points and sites of her work, within or outside the screen.
Her work has been included in group exhibitions and screenings at Fabra i Coats - Centre d'Art Contemporani (Barcelona), Cité Internationale des Arts (Paris), LOOP Barcelona, Khorshid Film Festival (Téhéran), Bandits-Mages (Bourges), Espace des Blancs-Manteaux (Paris), l’Abbaye (Annecy-le-Vieux), Galerie Neuf (Nancy), Hectoliter Gallery (Brussels), Musée Saint-Raymond (Toulouse). She has had the possibility to develop her work in residences like the Casa de Velázquez in Madrid, Salón Bellefour in Buenos Aires or Hangar in Barcelona.
SOLO SHOWS
Plaine saison
Galerie Le Toutou Chic, Metz (FR), Dec. 3, 2014-Feb. 7, 2015.
Décantation d'un projet éditorial
JHB Fondation Royale, Bruxelles (BE), Nov. 2, 2013.
Animal Catastrophe
Kiosque Images, Paris (FR), April 8-21, 2010.
Duo show w/ Jérémy Naklé. Curated by Collection Revue.
GROUP SHOWS
Jeune Création 67
Galerie Thaddeus Ropac, Pantin (FR), July 8-21, 2017.
w/ Amandine Arcelli, Stessie Audras, Sylvain Azam, Marion Balac, Mohamed Tayeb Bayri, Léandre Bernard-Brunel, Jérémy Berton, Louise Bossut, Jessica Boubetra, Hilda Caicedo, Laure Catugier, Vincent Chevillon, Clara Citron, Oliver Clément, Pierre Clément, Étienne François, François-Noé Fabre, Sarah Feuillas, François Jacob, Justyna Janetezk, Guillaume Gehannin, Audrey Gleizes, Théo Hernandez, Albane Hupin, Jules Lagrange, Yannick Langlois, Thomas Lasbouygues, Romain Lecornu, Flavie Lebrun-Taugourdeau, Juliette Liautaud, Violaine Lochu, Jordan Madlon, Oscar Malessène, Manoela Medeiros, Nelly Monnier, Raphaël Moreira Gonçalves, Jean-Julien Ney, Margot Pietri, Laura Porter, David Posth-Kohler, Felix Ramon, Camille Rosa, Raphaël Rossi, Octave Rimbert-Rivière, Salut c'est cool, Ludovic Sauvage, Quentin Spohn, Melchior Tersen, Maxime Thoreau, Guillaume Valenti, Anaïs Volpe, Lucy Watts, Joonyoung Yoo.
Un mundo ideal
Finalistas del Premi Miquel Casablancas 2017
Fabra i Coats - Centre d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (ES), May 26th - June 16th 2017.
w/ Alexander Arilla, Marion Balac, Joan Bennassar, Ana Esteve Reig, Ignacio García Sánchez, Marian Garrido, Abel Jaramillo, Gala Knörr, Zuhar Iruretagoiena, Daniel Moreno Roldán, Ariadna Parreu, M Reme Silvestre, El Palomar.
UnderLOOP
LOOP Barcelona (ES), Cine Avenida de la Luz, 19 - 27 May 2017.
w/ Marion Balac, Azahara Cerezo, Claudia Oliveira, Andrea D. Revesz and Christina Schultz. Curated by Amanda Masha Caminals.
21es Journées photographiques de Bienne
Crowd workers, Unsterblichkeit und Post-Fotografie
Galerie Le Grenier, Bienne (CH), May 5–28, 2017.
w/ Ismaël Bahri, Marion Balac, Levon Biss, Melanie Bonajo, Trmasan Bruialesi/Rudolf Steiner, Julian Charrière, Defrost Studio, Thomas Egli, David Fathi, Daniel Hofer, Lauren Huret, Steeve Iuncker, Dominique Koch, Maria Kourkouta, Kunstanstalt Brügger, Ola Lanko, Catherine Leutenegger, Paolo Marchetti, Florent Meng, Daan Paans, Jean Revillard, Simon Rimaz, Claudia Schildknecht, Sebastian Schmieg, Katrin Streicher, Annegien Van Doorn, Image+, Concours FNS d'images scientifiques, Ecole d'Arts Visuels Berne et Bienne.
Paper Tigers Collection & Co
Syndicat Potentiel, Strasbourg (FR), 9 - 25 février 2017.
w/ Céline Ahond, Atelier Deux-Mille, Elodie Brémaud, Julie Brusley, Jocelyn Cottencin, Emma Cozzani, Dector & Dupuy, Justin Delareux, Louise Drubigny, Bruno Elisabeth, Eltono, François Feutrie, Nikolas Fouré, Antonio Gallego, David Gauchard Et David Moreau, Rémi Groussin, Pascal Le Coq, Hélène Leflaive, Glen Loarer, Richard Louvet, Damien Marchal, Mardinoir, Laurent Marissal / Painterman, Roberto Martinez, Samir Mougas, Nicolas Muller, Julien Nédélec, Aurélie Noury, Ox, Blaise Parmentier, Parole, Pied La Biche, Benoît Police, Catherine Rannou, Hubert Renard, David Renault, Rero, Benjamin Sabatier, Frédéric Sallaz, Manuel Salvat, Bertrand Segonzac, Charlotte Seidel, Aurélie Slonina, Sébastien Taillefer, Mathieu Tremblin, Philémon Vanorlé, Vincent+Feria, Eric Watier, ≤++, Emilien Adage, Pierre Akrich, Elise Alloin, Alexandre Astier, Fayçal Baghriche, Marion Balac, Aram Bartholl, Maxime Bondu, Simon Boudvin, Mohamed Bourouissa, Raphaël Charpentié, Alex Chevalier, Vincent Chevillon, Cirrus, Matthieu Clainchard, John Cornu, Harmen De Hoop, Caroline Delieutraz, Jean Denant, Enora Denis, Brad Downey, Encastrable, Simon Feydieu, Formes Vives, Sebastian Freytag, Manuel Frolik, Benjamin Gaulon, Thomas Geiger, Jeanne Gouzi, Marlene Hausegger, Carl Hurtin, Collectif Implémentation, Michel Jacquet, Frank Koolen, Laurent Lacotte, Thomas Lasbouygues, Matthieu Martin, Matthias Marx, Filippo Minelli, Marianne Mispelaere, Tania Mouraud, Simon Nicaise, Audrey Ohlmann, Jérôme Pierre, Manuel Pomar, Arthur Poutignat, Alain Snyers, Eva Taulois, Terrains Vagues, Thomas Tudoux, Capucine Vever, Addie Wagenknecht, Nicolas Zimny, Vincent Zucca. Curated by Mathieu Tremblin.
Paratext 14
Hangar, Barcelona (ES), Jan. 18, 2017.
w/ Marion Balac, Megan Michalak, Florian Freier and Michael J. Lyons.
Open
Galerie T2, Paris (FR), Dec. 8-20, 2016.
w/ Marion Balac, Jean-Baptiste Caron, Cyril Debon, Hélène Garcia, Louis Granet, Adrien Guillet, Quentin Lefranc, Léa Mercier, Enzo Mianes, Simon Nicaise, Céline Notheaux and Aldéric Trével. Curated by Manon Klein and BLBC.
Variation Media Art Fair 2016
Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris (FR), Oct.17-23, 2016.
w/ Ali Tnani, Alix Desaubliaux, Carine Klonowski, Caroline Delieutraz, Come Di Meglio, Dani Ploeger, Elias Crespin, Eliott Paquet, Fabien Leaustic, Felicie D’estienne D’orves, Fito Segrera, Flavien Thery, François Ronsiaux, Frederic Delangle, Jean Hubert, Jeanne Briand, Jeanne Susplugas, Jeremy Bailey, Joanie Lemercier, Joe Hamilton, Judith Deschamps, Klaus Fruchtnis, Laurent Bolognini, Lisa Sartorio, Magali Daniaux Et Cedric Pigot, Marion Balac, Masaki Fujihata, Michaël Borras A.K.A Systaime, Michel Paysant, Olivier Ratsi, Pascal Haudressy, Pierrick Sorin, Raul Valverde, Renaud Auguste-Dormeuil, Santiago Torres, Shaun Gladwell, Sliders_lab, Thibault Brunet, Thierry Fournier, Tomek Jarolim, Visual System, Yann Toma. Curated by Dominique Moulon.
Fictions Réelles
Le 100 ecs, Paris (FR), Nov. 4-17, 2016.
w/ Marion Balac, Xavier Blondeau, Guillaume Bounaud, Amandine Crozat, Nicolas Peltier.
10x10
Ourcq Blanc, Paris (FR), Jul. 2016.
5th Khorshid Film Festival
Téhéran (IR), Jan. 2016.
Écran Libre
Moon, Foff Angoulême (FR), Jan. 2016.
La fin des cartes ?
Shakirail, Paris (FR), Nov. 12-22, 2015.
w/ Jordi Colomer, Louidgi Beltrame, Esther Polak et Ivar van Bekkum, Karine Comby, Marion Balac, Sabrina Biokou Sellier, Alma Sarmiento. Curated by Isabelle Arvers.
Variation Media Art Fair
Espace des Blancs-Manteaux, Paris (FR), Oct.19-25, 2015.
w/ Donald Abad, Memo Akten, Art Orienté Objet, Jean-Pierre Attal, Cécile Babiole, Marion Balac, Maurice Benayoun, Samuel Bianchini, Matthew Biederman, Julien Borrel, François Brument, Edmond Couchot et Michel Bret, Luc Courchesne, Michaël Cros, Enora Denis, Quentin Destieu & Sylvain Huguet, Côme di Meglio & Eliott Paquet, Pascal Dombis, Jan Domicz, Reynald Drouhin, Fleury Fontaine, Juliette Goiffon & Charles Beauté, Lia Giraud, Shaun Gladwell, Catherine Ikam & Louis Fléri, Pascal Haudressy, Claudia Hart, Eduardo Kac, Jean-Benoit Lallemant, Hee Won Lee, Joanie Lemercier, Juan Le Parc, Julio Le Parc, Selma Lepart, Julien Levesque, LIA, Christophe Luxereau, Laurent Mareschal, Mazaccio & Drowilal, Audrey Martin & Thomas Rochon, Albertine Meunier, Barnabé Moinard, ORLAN, Alejandro Otero, Rolando Peña, Pascale Peyret, Bertrand Planes, Dani Ploeger, Olivier Ratsi, Théoriz & Pia MYrvoLD, Patrick Tresset, François Vogel, Du Zhenjun. Curated by Dominique Moulon.
Carnets d'été
Galerie Louise, Le Pré Saint Gervais (FR) , Oct. 19- Nov. 5, 2015.
w/ Marion Balac, Olivia Benveniste, Thomas Cimolaï, Matthieu Clainchard, Sandra Dufour, Biblis Duroux, Gwen le Gac, Sophie Gaucher, Jaqueline Houplain, Amélie Juillard, Camille Lapelerie, Jeremy Liron, Adoka Niitsu, Hélène Rajcak, Gala Vanson et Simon Visconti.
Ravages
Point Éphémère, Paris (FR), Jun. 9-14, 2015.
w/ Jeanne Berbineau Aubry, Marion Balac, Jimmy Beauquesne, Léa Blot, Clara Borgen, Io Burgard, Gabrielle Desjean, Aude Laszlo de Kaszon et Manon Dard, Emmanuel Guillaud, Léo Lescop, Louise Recoing et Benjamin Testa. Curated by Diamètre.
Promenons-nous...
Abbaye d'Annecy-le-Vieux (FR), Jan. 9-Apr. 19, 2015.
w/ Marion Balac, Linda Branco, Émilie Brout et Maxime Marion, Larissa Fassler, Joe Hamilton, Vincent Lamouroux et Raphael Zarka, Francois Mazabraud, Driss Ouadahi, Delphine Renault et Clement Valla. Curated by Caroline Delieutraz and Géraldine Miquelot.
To the roots
Galerie Mathilde C, Paris (FR), 6 décembre 2014 - 22 janvier 2015.
w/ Alexane Augeraud, Marion Balac, Didier Blondeau, François Génot and Morgan Person.
Entre les arbres
Galerie Entre, Paris (FR), Oct. 3-6 octobre 2014.
w/ Marion Balac, Hélène Barrier, Mass Confusion et Thomas Ruffalo.
Édition florale
Collectif Blanc - Nomad, Montréal (CAN), Sep. 13-21, 2014.
6 weekends d'art contemporain
Galerie Neuf, Nancy (FR), Jul. 5-Aug. 10, 2014.
w/ Marion Balac, Anita Molinero, Annelise Ragno, Gretel Weyer and Viviane Zenner.
Tootem
Société Sauvage/Galerie Lazer Quest, Paris (FR), Dec. 5-8, 2013.
w/ Sardine Animal, Marion Balac, Mathilde Barrio Nuevo, Gg Blum, Alice Bunel, Cobra Foutre, HOTU, Hedwige Hurtel, Lomé Iench, Hélène Jeudy, Anna Mimouni, Satanik Mike, Marie O, Daniel Otero Torres, Elodie Petit, Studiolent and Iris Veverka.
Revival
Hectoliter gallery, Bruxelles (BE), Oct. 31-Nov. 3, 2013.
w/ Camilo Ortega, Egor Kraft, Geran Knol, Karina Eibatova, Kitty Faingold, Lane Hagood, Marion Balac, Pablo Boffelli, Raya Rayax, Rosie Eisor and Tiago Rodrigues.
Revival Pavilion
Grad Sofiya, Sofia (BU), Sept. 26-29, 2013.
w/ Camilo Ortega, Egor Kraft, Geran Knol, Karina Eibatova, Kitty Faingold, Lane Hagood, Marion Balac, Pablo Boffelli, Raya Rayax, Rosie Eisor, Tiago Rodrigues.
Beware Exhibit
Workshop, Paris (FR), Oct. 9, 2013.
w/ Marion Balac, Victoria Roussel, Benoit Paillé, Manu Fauque, Antoine Duchamp, Erwan Manchec, Markus Lehr, Gurbir Grewal, Jean Yves Lemoigne and Jonas Fornod.
Jardins Synthétiques, Hors les Murs
La Bellone, Bruxelles (BE), May 6-10, 2013.
w/ Marion Balac, David Lachavanne and Laurence Fourcade.
Il y a loin et cependant
Avant-Travaux, Paris (FR), Feb. 21-28, 2014.
w/ Marion Balac, Margaux Duseigneur, Julien Kedryna,Icinori, Pia-Melissa Laroche, Roxane Lumeret, Fanny Michaëlis, Bénédicte Muller, Jérémy Naklé, Anne Touquet, Aurélie William-Levaux.
Orage Titan Fata Morgosa
H2, Paris (FR), Nov. 29-Dec. 31, 2012.
w/ Christian Aubrun, Marion Balac, Frédérique Barré, Vincent Bouley, Bastien Contraire, Julie Cronier , Oriane Dufort, Sophie Gaucher, Aurélie Lainé, Pia-Mélissa Laroche, Marine Le Saout, Réjane Lhote, Amandine Meyer, Satanik Mike, Romina Pelagatti, Anne Touquet and Iris Ververka.
Jardins synthétiques
Musée Saint-Raymond,Toulouse (FR), Oct. 18-21, 2012.
w/ Marion Balac, Scenoscosme, David Brunner, Laurence Lafourcade, David Lachavanne et Marie-Caroline Terenne.
Atelier Boisson, Marseille (FR), Sep. 21-23, 2012. Curated by John Deneuve.
Which Witch
Le Cagibi, Lille (FR), Apr. 7-May 13, 2012.
w/ Nadia Agnolet, Marion Balac, Vincent Bouley, Bingo, Julie Cronier, Bastien Contraire, Oriane Dufort, Aurélie Lainé, Pia Melissa Laroche, Marine Le Saout, Amandine Meyer, Satanik Mike, Romina Pelagatti, Anne Touquet, Maia Roger, Iris Veverka.
Treize Étrange(s)
Galerie S102 , programmation Hors les Murs du Parc Saint Léger, Nevers (FR).
w/ Marion Balac, Julie Cronier, Oriane Dufort, Pia-Mélissa Laroche, Romina Pelagatti, Bastien Contraire, Amandine Meyer, Anne Touquet, Aurélie Lainé, Christian Aubrun, Caroline Lorfeuvre, Maia Roger, Marine Le Saout. Curated by Céline Poulin.
Collection classique
Le Pied de Biche, Paris (FR), Jan. 26 janvier- Feb. 25, 2012.
w/ Marion Balac, Stéphane Prigent, Daniel Abensour, Ludmilla Cerveny, Pol Edouard Flores, Julie Deck Marsault, Julien Kedryna, Dans le Ciel Tout Va Bien, Céline Guichard and Claire Duport.
Láncszemek
L'Hybride, Lille (FR), Jun. 3-Jul. 9, 2011.
w/ Marion Balac, Julie Cronier, Oriane Dufort, Vanessa Dziuba, Knapfla, Aurélie Lainé, Pia-Mélissa Laroche, Marine Le Saout, Caroline Lorfeuvre, Romina Pelagatti, Maïa Roger, Anne Touquet, Waii Waii.
Mother Drucker, Berlin (DE), Oct. 29-Nov. 30, 2010
w/ Sroop Sunar, Jess Wilson, Marion Balac and Claire Scully.
Bandits-Mages
International video festival, Bourges (FR), 2009.
Jusqu'ici tout va bien
Forum de l’Image - Espace Croix-Baragnon, Toulouse (FR), 2005.
RESIDENCIES AND GRANTS
Hangar, winner of Hangar/Institut Français de Barcelona/Casa de Velázquez grant, Barcelona (ES), 2017.
Can Serrat, full grant winner, El Bruc (ES), 2017.
Werner Thöni Artspace, Barcelona (ES), 2017.
Salon Bellefour, Buenos Aires (AR), 2016.
Villa Belleville, Paris (FR), 2015.
Casa de Velázquez grant, Madrid (ES), 2015.
Présence Barrée, Grenoble (FR), 2013.
Musée d'Art de la ville de Toulon (FR), 2012.
EDUCATION
MFA with honors, Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, 2015.
DNAP (BFA), ENSBA Lyon, 2008.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Dadabot. Essay about the hybridization of cultural forms (music, visual arts, literature) produced by digital technologies, Nicolas Nova et Joël Vacheron, Éditions Idpure, 2015.
Early Edition, Bill Kartalopoulos, Nat. Brut, 2015.
It's Nice That Annual 2013, Company of Parrots, 2013.
Revival, Blood Becomes Water #8, 2013.
Headache, Éditions du Livre, 2011.
Massive, Chili Com Carne / Hülülülü, 2010.
PRESS
El cine Avenida de la Luz reabre para arte, Teresa Sesé, La Vanguardia, 05.03.2017.
Identity, Florian Alexander Schmidt, Agenda Design 3, AGD, 2016.
The Many faces of Camouflage, Jan Babnik, Membrana, 2016.
Data Iconoclast, Paul Wombell, British Journal of Photography, december 2015.
Cabinet of curiosities, IDPURE 38, 2015.
Girls Draw it Better, Monique Todd, Twin Magazine 12, 2015.
Utopies en miniatures, Benjamin Bottemer, Zut! #09, 2014.
Animal Catastrophe, Junko Shibuya, Illustration Japan, 2010.
Animal Catastrophe, Maxime Gueugneau, Kiblind, april 2010.
RADIO
Soft Power, France Culture (06.05.2016)
Internet, Green Text Stories, Dublab.es (02.14.2017)
TELEVISION
Im künstlichen Soziotop – Disneylands prägender Einfluss, Igor Basic, Kulturplatz, SRF 1, 05.03.2017
ONLINE PRESS
"Für Google sind Götter auch nur Menschen" - Igor Basic - SRF
"Marion Balac" - Géraldine Miquelot - Portraits
"The 'Anonymous Gods' Of GSV" - Beckett Mufson - The Creators Project
"Un état de la création numérique" - Frédéric Martel - France Culture
"The Anonymous Gods Of GSV" - John Brownlee - Fast Company / Co.Design
"Has facial recognition paranoia gotten stupid?" - Greg Stevens - The Daily Dot
"Villa Belleville - Géraldine Miquelot - Portraits
"DADABOT. The role of algorithms in cultural production " - Regine Debatty - We-make-money-not-art
"Les inquiétantes miscellanées des Journées de Bienne" - Caroline Stevan - Le temps
"Marion Balac" - Renaud Monfourny - Les Inrocks
"The faces of monuments and statues blurred-out by Google Street View" - Maisie Skidmore - It's Nice That
"Le visage apparaît dans une troublante nudité " - Pierre Ménard - Liminaire
"Stunningly detailed pencil drawings from the prolific Marion Balac" - James Cartwright - It's Nice That
"Marion Balac on jungle-explorations, suggestive drawings and island dreams" - Amber Hsu - Tiny Pencil
"Aujourd’hui est le jour où tu rejoins tes semblables" - Mikaël Demets - L'accoudoir
"Il y a loin et cependant" - Smaranda Olcese - Toute la culture
"The Faceless Gods Of Google Street View" - Robbie Gonzalez - io9
"Marion Balac’s Apparitional Void Drawings" - Ryan de la Hoz - Beautiful Decay
"La poésie mystérieuse du dessin contemporain" - Julien Verhaeghe - Contemporanéité
Panorama of drawing in 2015 by Twin Magazine 12
"Marion Balac" - Victoria Roussel - Beware
"Anonymous gods" - Spacelab
"Anonymous Gods, i volti delle statue offuscate su Google StreetView" - Wired
"The Many Faces of Camouflage" - Jan Babnik - Membrana
"Όλοι είμαστε ίσοι μπροστά στη google" - George Tsaknis - Dimart
"Underloop: videoarte en el subsuelo de Barcelona" - Jorge Mauro de Pedro - Culturaca
WORKSHOPS
Video workshops in Les Côtes pediatric day hospital - movie screened in "Lumière..." exhibition in L'Onde art center, Vélizy-Villacoublay (FR), Jun. 06-Jul. 07, 2017.
Workshops in MRAC, Sérignan (FR), 2015.
Workshops in Museum of Renaissance (Les Portes du Temps), castle of Écouen (FR), 2013.
Workshops for Squares event (Art Exprim), Paris (FR), 2012.