Sacha Guedj-Cohen, founder and director of Spiaggia Libera Cc. Pauline Assathiany
Spiaggia Libera is a cutting-edge gallery founded in 2023 in Paris by Sacha Guedj-Cohen and Simon Lasry dealing with international programmation focusing on digital art. The gallery is participating to Art -o-rama for the 2nd time with a special project by Marilou Poncin, an artist I discovered at 100% l’Expo and macLYON, whose world of body hybridity and online’s representations of feminine beauty is particularly compelling, challenging the traditional male gaze. She is currently part of the Prix Découverte Louis Roederer in Arles. Her new installation for Art -o-rama “Sunburn and Moonlight” plunges us into the heat and scorch of summer. At the same time, the gallery inaugurates a new space, LA PLAGE, in Marseille, Sacha’s home town, where she is willing to promote a new format for exhibitions and dialogue. Sacha insists on the potential of the Marseille’s scene and the decisive steps of her career.
What is the DNA of Spiaggia Libera and meaning of the title ?
Spiaggia Libera , which means “free beach” or “public beach” in Italian, is synonymous with creative freedom and expression. In Italy, there is currently a trend towards the privatization of coastal areas, making it increasingly difficult to simply go to the beach, lie down, read a book, swim or take a nap. Spiaggia Libera therefore almost resembles a place of modern resistance. We wanted to infuse this space with the spirit of creative resistance – and, of course, bring a little sea and sunshine to the heart of Paris.
Bella Hunt & DDC, Siren Stool, 2021, Stuc/ Stucco, 65x45x45cm. Courtesy of the artist, Spiaggia Libera
Your are participating to Art o rama for the 2nd time with a solo show of Marilou Poncin and special project : can you describe it ?
“Moonlight & Sunburn”, Marilou Poncin’s exhibition at Art-o-rama in Marseille, focuses on the representation of women in the digital world. At the heart of the exhibition is a large self-portrait in which Poncin’s body, submerged in the depths and draped in classical fabrics, embodies an aquatic nymph, a symbol of both vulnerability and power. Around it, ceramics and drawings rework images from vintage magazines, challenging the traditional male gaze by reappropriating these visuals in dreamlike, poetic narratives. The fresco, inspired by the light of Marseille, reflects further on the fluidity of identity and the way women are represented in the digital world, blurring the boundaries between the real and the imaginary.
Laura Gozlan, Some like it hot IV, 2020 courtesy of the artist & Valeria Cetaro, Paris
In the same time you are lanching a new space at Marseille a very florishing city but with few commercial galeries : what are your motivations ?
Marseille is a lively, dynamic city, where many artists have recently settled, sparking a wave of new projects and cultural initiatives. I’m a Marseillais myself, so it’s exciting to see how the city is evolving. But more than just seeing it happen, we wanted to be part of that change.
The 2024-2025 season will mark the start of the first phase of the program for the gallery’s new space in Marseille, which we like to call LA PLAGE. In this space, we want to introduce a new exhibition format. Our aim is to foster meaningful links between the various players in the gallery and the works of our artists.
We’ve imagined LA PLAGE as a welcoming space, in keeping with the programming we’ve been promoting since the gallery opened. The idea behind this new project is to shake up the usual rhythm of gallery visits in Paris, by creating richer moments of exchange with the artists and their work.
We also want to highlight Marseille’s art scene and create new dialogues between the international artists we support and emerging local talents.
Talita Otović, I’m not drowning I’m waiting in the water, 2024 courtesy of the artist, Spiaggia Libera
How would you describe Marseille ?
Marseille is like a sunset with the sound of a scooter starting up in the background. It’s a magnificently chaotic city, full of extremes and contradictions. It’s also one of France’s most cosmopolitan cities, the gateway to the south and a window to a wider horizon. Marseille is bursting with energy, an energy that we shouldn’t try to contain, but rather accept and nurture.
What are the decisive steps of your career ?
I am an art historian, having studied at the Sorbonne before working with various galleries, including Emmanuel Perrotin and Kamel Mennour. Later, I also worked with private foundations such as Kadist and the Sigg Art Foundation, where I directed residency programs in the South of France and Saudi Arabia.
I’ve always had one foot in research and the other in the non-academic world, always close to contemporary creation and the artists who push our society to constantly question and reinvent itself.
I’ve known my partner Simon Lasry for a long time. We first teamed up for a group show, “Hestia”, featuring works by Celia Hempton, Louisa Gagliardi, Natacha Donzé and Paul Maheke, among others, in an empty building in the 6th arrondissement. Following this experience and its success, we decided to open the gallery together.
What advice would you give to young collectors ?
First and foremost, trust your instinct and your eye. Buy works that speak to you and help you understand that the true value of art is not a question of money. And of course, good advice is invaluable – after all, it’s my job! I also think that young collectors should take an interest in emerging artists so that they can evolve alongside the artists they follow.
Infos pratiques :
Art-o-rama 2024
Hours
vendredi 30 aout 2024 11h – 21h samedi 31 aout 2024 14h – 19h dimanche 1 septembre 2024 14h – 19h
Tickets
Billet Art-o-rama + toutes les expositions à la Friche
Plein tarif – 12 € Tarif réduit – 8 €
Location
La Tour 3ème étage, La Cartonnerie, le Petit Plateau
Friche la Belle de Mai
https://art-o-rama.fr/fr
Inauguration de LA PLAGE by Spiaggia Libera :
Odyssea, Acte 1 Le chant des sirènes
1 plateau de Malmousque, 13007 Marseille
28.08 /01.09
Actualités de la galerie :