Christelle Familiari

Christelle Familiari, Demande de suçons / Request for Hickeys, 2001
Photographs: Gelatin silver prints mounted on Dibond
120 x 160 cm / 40 x 60 cm (x2)
Collection of FRAC Haute-Normandie; Collection NSMD Bank & MSN Vie
Photo: Benoît Lecarpentier

For his very first exhibition as the Directior of La Criée contemporary at center, Larys Frogier curated EX-CHANGE bringing together seven international contemporary artists: Simone Decker, Olivier Dollinger, Christelle Familiari, Nan Goldin, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Bill Jacobson, Gillian Wearing. Their works converge in a practice of ex-change, means questionning the switches and relations between individual and collective memory, private and political body, relation to intimacy and control of public space.
As for the Christelle Familiari, she was soliciting love biteson / hickeys the evening of the opening, calling for a very precise and unique connection between artist and visitor. Familiari presented herself during three hours to the visitor clad in a hand-knitted red dress and balaclava - garments that leave only her shoulders and neck exposed. Seated within the space, the artist awaits the visitor’s response to an invitation to make contact only with their lips, tongue and saliva. It is then up to the spectator to lay bare their desire to approach the artist and kiss her passionately…