Claire Astier

Claire Astier lives and works in Marseille (FR)

Claire Astier is interested in forms of the common and how they vary over time, analyzing the iterations of a recurring question in art: what kind of presence can the collective generate, and under what conditions can it be effective in today’s social and political space? Her focus is as much on modes of production as on forms of appearance, developing a research territory where the boundaries of the artwork, its modes of emergence, collaboration and collectivity as creative processes, and the deconstruction of the exhibition space are primary sources.

From this perspective, she examines the visual responses artists offer to generalized automation and pre-scripted spaces, while seeking to allow her curatorial role to evolve through collaboration. She is particularly interested in narrative protocols and in the idea of variation and lability—of spaces, artworks, and their status—as well as the fluctuations of ideas through history and the ways in which subjects and societies seek to position themselves within a historical continuum.

With a degree in political anthropology before training at the École du Magasin in Grenoble, Claire Astier has built her path in the field of contemporary art in a self-taught manner, working alongside artists, curators, and directors of art spaces. While not neglecting public or museum institutions, she has been especially engaged with spaces dedicated to emerging practices and in supporting and mentoring young artists.