Tania Mouraud

Original digital printing

H.72,5 x W.60,5 cm

H.89,5 x W.76 cm (with frame)

Bio

1942 Born in Paris. Daughter of Marcel Mouraud, lawyer, art collector and Resistance fighter, and Martine Sersiron, writer, journalist, businesswoman and Resistance fighter.

1960 After an education in England, Tania Mouraud returned to France and made several stays in England and Germany. She discovers John Cage, the actions of the group Fluxus, Joseph Beuys, jazz, and begins painting.

1968 She burns all her paintings in the courtyard of Villejuif hospital. From this date, she carries out the Initiation Rooms or Meditation Rooms, for a psychosensory exploration of space.

1977 For the first time, it is investing in public space with City Performance n°1. The word "NI" is deployed on 54 advertising panels in northeastern Paris.

2002 She founded the sound experimentation group "Unité de Production" with Cyprien Dedeurwaeder (Cyprien Quairiat), Ruben Garcia, Pierre Petit, Marie-Odile Sambourg, Sylvain Souque and Baptiste Vanweydeveldt.

2014 She presents "Ad Nauseam", an audiovisual and sound installation in collaboration with Ircam, at the MAC/VAL-Musée d'art contemporain du Val-de- Marne, Vitry-sur-Seine.

2015 The Centre Pompidou is dedicating a retrospective to her.

Libération 2016

Même pas peur (Not even afraid)

By Tania Mouraud (1942, France)

"After the retrospective that the Centre Pompidou in Metz dedicated to me, I saw in the project of Libération the opportunity to re-enroll in the present time. The choice of this front page was obvious. The massive demonstration that followed the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo embodies in my eyes the democratic act par excellence. It is the expression of an individual and responsible word, multiplied : one goes out into the street and says what one thinks. This image of a parade marked me by the ideals it conveys. It shows a positive indignation, even though there may be shadows on the picture. I love these acts of anonymous crowds. For this front page, I used the visual "MEMEPASTEUR" that I designed for the Mac Val facade, as part of the "Ad Nauseam" exhibition. It echoed the audiovisual installation confronting the public to a book-breaking factory, within the museum. "Not even afraid" to exhibit, "not even afraid" to speak, write, draw, commit myself: this inscription took on an unexpected magnitude with the events of January 7. I have often been described as a committed artist. But I don't define myself as such, because I don't belong to any party and I have always claimed my freedom. I feel closer to the notion of citizenship, which for me is an attitude towards life. To be a citizen is to live with my eyes open to the world. I have been working for 50 years in connection with history and current events. What interests me is the personal experience of these events. I am a fighter. I am the daughter of resistance fighters. My father died for the Resistance in the Vercors. Defending freedom of expression is a permanent struggle, which particularly affects me as a woman. It is still essential today to mobilize. Every demonstration strengthens democracy. »

EN