Yann Toma born in 1969 in is both an artist and a researcher, the lifelong president of the company Ouest-Lumière and an artist-observer within the UN, where he sits as an entrepreneurial artist.
With projects always anchored in a societal context, Yann Toma's fundamental idea is to rebuild the link. Connecting with ourselves, our collective memory, and the transforming power generated by the mass, art is used here as a means of materializing energy flows but also as an energy in its own right.
Yann Toma is a French contemporary artist and a researcher. He positions his work and his reflection on the border of the artistic expression, always involved in political and social events. Toma places the artist as responsible for social debate. As a mediator he can invite people to get involved, to take part of a collaborative energy.
Toma collaborates with entreprises, political scientists as well as philosophers. By salvaging material from former electric power company Ouest-Lumière in the early 1990s, he has appropriated a symbolic network, an industrial infrastructure which he turned into his research territory and the very matter of his activity. Toma, president for life of Ouest Lumière, is also an artist-observer within the U.N where he sits as an entrepreneurial artist.
Artistic energy
Toma developed the concept of artistic energy. He appropriated a symbolic network, an infrastructure coming from factories of which he made his territory of research and the subject of his activity. "Ouest-Lumière" is above all about an immaterial network which the artist established patiently, a network of subterranean resistance resting on the notion of memory and report.
His personal but collaborative exhibition Dynamo-Fukushima, exhibited at the Grand Palais for the Heritage Days of September 2011, attracted more than 17,000 people in two days. This focus on collective energy and solidarity, after the nuclear disaster of Fukushima in this case, is the tone of Toma's favorite topic.
Career positions
The artist is also a PHD professor and a researcher in University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne where he manages the team of research CNRS (French national center for scientific research), named " Art & Flux "[1] which is as much a look-out post, an observatory of theoretical and critical research, as a laboratory of experiment and artistic production.[2]Art & Flux (Art and Flows) reports in a critical way what connects the art, the economy and the society. He is the author of the collective work Les entreprises critiques (" The critical companies ")[3] and of Artistes & Entreprises (Artists & Companies).
Collections
The artistic work of Toma is part of numerous collections. His work is integrated in particular into the collection of Centre Georges Pompidou[4] and was put in the inventory of the National Art Collection of Contemporary Art in 2007. He is represented by The Opening Gallery, in New York. A monography, entitled "Yann Toma" (texts, conversations, 700 photos and illustrations), went out to September 2011 which presents the extent of his work and artistic flux of the President for life of Ouest-Lumière.[5][6] His personal participative exhibition in the Grand Palais Dynamo-Fukushima (in September 2011) gathered more than 17,000 visitors in two days.[7][8]
The French national memorial created for the centennial of the World War I is the last monumental artwork of the artist. At night, the monument called L'Anneau de la mémoire becomes La Grande Veilleuse ("The Great Wake Light") and the memory of 580,000 soldiers keeps shining when the visitors are gone.
Artistic route
Personal exhibitions
1992, 1994
Élaboration du Mémorial de l'Usine Ouest Lumière (Elaboration of the Memorial of the Factory Ouest Lumière), Espace EDF, Puteaux, France
1997
L'Usine fantasmagorique, (The phantasmagorical Factory), Centers art and culture of the Farm of Buisson, Noisiel
La vitrine de l'officine du docteur Bartok (The shop window of the pharmacy of doctor Bartok), Révillon d'Apreval Gallery, Paris, France
Alchimie souterraine (Subterranean alchemy), Chez Eve Marie-Chauvin, Paris, France
1998
Plovdiski noshti, Alliance Française (French alliance) of Bulgaria and Gallery Gamma, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
1999
Ostension de Rose HEIM, 'La hune' Bookshop, Paris, France
Les nuits de Plovdiv, Affaires culturelles de la Ville de Paris (Cultural affairs of the City of Paris), AFAA, Paris (Association Française d'Action Artistique – French association of Artistic Action)
2000
Restes lumière, Galerie Valérie Cueto, Paris, France
2001
Crimes sur commande (Crimes to order), Espace huit novembre, Paris, France
2002
Contrôle qualité (Quality control), Patricia Dorfmann Galery, Paris, France
Ouest-Lumière – Laboratoire de recherche (Research laboratory), Patricia Dorfmann Galery, Paris, France
Début de transmission (At the beginning of transmission), Cité internationale universitaire de Paris, France
The Man in Gold, Alvin Alto Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
2014
Observations on Secrecy, Surveillance and Censorship, drawings, "Logan Symposium", The Barbican Centre, London
Climate March & General Assembly, engagement and civic investigation, New York, United States
La Grande Veilleuse (The Great Wake Light), monumental work mixing light and architecture, in collaboration with the architecture agency AAPP. French national memorial of the World War I, Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, France
Regard, Carottages en terre de l'Usine Ouest Lumière (Glance, Core drillings in earth of the Factory Ouest Lumière), Unesco, Paris, France
1995
Chez l'un, Cercles d'ampoules (To the one, Encircle of bulbs), Anton Weller Gallery, Paris, France
1996
La réserve des blancs manteaux (The reserve of the white coats), L'atelier parisien, Paris, France
Chez l'un, Cabinet alchimique (To the one, Cabinet alchimique), Anton Weller Gallery, Paris – Biennale de Champigny, Mausolée de l'ouvrier inconnu (Mausoleum of the unknown worker), Champigny, France
Monument et modernité (Monument and modernity), Espace Electra, Paris, France
Chez l'un, Camera obscura (To the one, Camera obscura), Anton Weller Gallery, Paris, France
1997
Réveillons-nous, Sous l'asphalte (Let us wake up, Under the asphalt), Anton Weller Gallery, Valentin, Météo, Paris, France
Renvoi d'ascenseur – Opération Sztreminski (Cross-reference of elevator – Operation Sztreminski), Musée cinématographique de Łódź, Poland
Le complot (The plot), institut Cochin de génétique moléculaire (Cochin institute of molecular genetics), Paris, France
Empoussièrement du musée Napoléonien (Dustment of the Napoleonic museum), Ministry of Culture, Fontainebleau, France
1998
Bruits secrets (Secret Rumours), Silicates de sodium (Silicates of sodium), CCC, Tours, France
Ostension 1, EDF-ACT 91- City hall of La Norville, France
1999
9.0, Ostension du corps de Marianne Ripp (9.0, Ostension of Marianne Ripp's body), Web Bar, Paris, France
Un lieu en travaux, Garage de soucoupes volantes (A place in works, Garage of spaceships), IUFM d'Étiolles, Étiolles – FIAC, Les Extases, Anton Weller Gallery, Paris, France
Bateau Laboratoire, Paris vu du ciel (Boat Laboratory, Paris seen by the sky), Espace Bateau Lavoir, Paris, France
Biennale des jeunes créateurs d'Europe et de la Méditerranée, Variation pour cinq housses (Biennial event of the young creators of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea, Variation for five covers), Rome, Italy
Events, Crimes sur commande (Vents, Crimes to order), Yvon Lambert Gallery, Paris, France
Work-shop, Variation pour quatre housses (Work-shop, Variation for four covers), Anton Weller Gallery, Paris, France
Nécropolis, Ostension du corps de Laurent Claquin (Nécropolis, Ostension of Laurent Claquin's body), Georges-Philippe and Nathalie Vallois Gallery, Paris
2000
aaa, archiving as art, Ouest-Lumière télémarketing, Isea, Paris, France
Work shop, Images-flash, UFR 04, Paris, France
Trafic de clones (Traffic of clones), Le cabinet M, Ivry
L'art contemporain au risque du clonage (The contemporary art at the risk of the cloning), Le représentant, Vert le Petit
Élémentaire, L'AFFAIRE de l'église St-Germain (Elementary, THE AFFAIR of the church St-Germain), Amiens
L'incurable mémoire des corps, Le lieu de l'Incurable (Incurable memory of bodies, place of the Incurable), Ivry-sur-Seine
Immanence, White houses, Infiltration, Paris – Argos project, Infiltration, Vevey, Switzerland
Usine, ouvrier-ouvrière (Factory, male worker – female worker), Paris, France
Lumière aux Cordeliers, Variation pour trente-six housses (Light to the Cordeliers, Variation for thirty six covers), Couvent des Cordeliers, Paris
Sous l'asphalte (Under the asphalt Within the framework of the Parcours Saint Germain, Paris, France
Promesses pour les années 2000 (Promises for 2000s), Ostension of the body of Stéphane Pianacci, CFDT, Paris, France
Emplacement-déplacement IV, II ostension du corps de Marianne Ripp (Location – Travel IV, II ostension of Marianne Ripp's body), Anton Weller Gallery, Paris.
Emplacement-Déplacement III, Ostension du corps de Nathalie F (Location – Travel IV, II ostension of Nathali F), Anton Weller Gallery, Paris, France
2001
Quand l'art contemporain s'expose au débat public (When the contemporary art exposes itself to the public debate), Traversées, ARC Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris), Paris, France
Facteur de troubles (Factor of disorders), Paris West University Nanterre La Défense, Nanterre (within the framework of the line of research for the CERAP "praxis et altérités", praxis and otherness)
Effervescence, Contrôle qualité (Excitement, Quality control), Georges-Philippe and Nathalie Vallois Excitement, Quality control, Paris
Jardin d'émotions (Garden of feelings), Specimen Ouest-Lumière, Musée Vera, Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Immersion périscopique (Periscopic dumping), BATTERY SHOP, MACHINE SHOP, ELECTRICAL SHOP, Centre d'art de Soissons
Situation, Dix séances au rayon violet (Situation, Ten sessions in the purple beam), Institut d'astrophysique, Paris, France
Rouge, extase n°2 et l'AFFAIRE du boulevard de Reuilly (Red, ecstasy n°2 and the AFFAIR of the boulevard of Reuilly), Valérie Cueto Gallery, Paris, France
2002
Sémaphore 1, Salon du patrimoine (Lounge of the holdings), Caroussel du Louvre, Paris, France
Fête des lumières (Party of the lights), Transmission Pernon, Lyon
Nuit blanche, Transmission Oberkampf, Paris – Flux radiants (Radiant Flows), La friche de la belle de mai (Astéride), Marseille
Ma petite entreprise (My small firm), Centre d'art de Meymac (Center of art of Meymac), Meymac
Crime de Nathalie F (Crime of Nathalie F), FIAC, Patricia Dorfmann Gallery, Paris, France
Vies à vies (Lives to lives), Parcours Saint-Germain, Paris, France
2004
Nu radiant (Radiant nude), FIAC, Patricia Dorfmann Galery, Paris, France
Transmission Ivry, Exposition Polyptyque, Ivry sur Seine
Nous assurons votre avenir énergétique, La rue aux artistes (We insure your energy future, The street to the artists), Viacom, 300 4/3 panels in all France
Shelter Ouest-Lumière, Le Vent des forêts, forêt de Marcaulieu
Affaire du museum Franz Gertsch (Affair of the museum Franz Gertsch), Kallmann Museum, Munich, Germany
Chambre de contrôle (Chamber of control), Espace EDF Electra, Paris, France
Douce France (Soft France), Culturgest, Lisbon, Portugal
True Lies, Musée Franz Gertsch, Burgdorf, Switzerland
2005
FIAC, Service des Armes de destruction massive – Destruction de 7000 magazines Technikart (FIAC, Department of Weapons of mass destruction – Destruction of 7000 magazines Technikart), Ouest-Lumière
Neuf Crimes sur commandes (Nine Crimes on orders), Patricia Dorfmann Galery, Paris, France
Chromoscaphe 1, Laboratoires du Musée du Louvre, Paris (within the framework of "Lumière-Couleur")
Lancement du Radion (Launch of Radion), Art A3, Paris, France
Pit of the company Ouest-Lumière, Centre des Jeunes Dirigeants, Paris, France
Crimes sur commande, Face à Faces, AFAA, Artcurial, Paris, France
2006
Walls of Neemrana, École des Beaux arts, Rouen, France
Soucoupe volante (Spaceship), Les Peintres de la vie moderne (The Painters of the modern life), Georges Pompidou Center, Donation Collection photographique de la Caisse des Dépôts (Donation photographic Collection of the Deposit office)
Rupture mon amour (Break my love), Maison des Arts de Malakoff, commissariat de Aude Cartier, France – Lumière Noire (Black light), Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe,[17] Germany
Yann Toma, Monograph (in several languages), under the direction of Yann Toma, Foreword Édouard Glissant, 10 authors, Éditions Jannink (publisher), Paris, ISBN978-2-916067-28-5, 672 illustrations, 2011.[19]
Les entreprises critiques/Critical companies, bilingual, Cité du design Éditions/CERAP Éditions-Publishing, Saint-Étienne, France ISBN978-2-912808-14-1, 2008[20]
Crimes sur commande (Crimes to order), Victoires Éditions (publisher), Paris, 1998
In association with Richard Conte and M. Tabeaud, L’Usine dans l’espace francilien (The Factory in the space inhabitant of Ile-de-France), la Sorbonne publishing, 2001
Supervised by Yann Toma, La Cheminée phosphorescente (The phosphorescent Fireplace), Victoires publishing, 2000
Tracks – Art Entreprise – Chef-d'œuvres en boîte (Chef-d'œuvres in box). Television program "Tracks" about Ouest-Lumière : " The company and artist's life, two opposite concepts? Not in the parallel world of the critical companies, These hybrid entities which mix(involve) the art with suits-ties", Sophie Peyrard's report, Broadcast on October 7, 2010. Official website of the TV channel ARTE. National French and German TV channel.
Art & Flux, Official website of Art & Flux, Monitoring Observatory of research (theoretical and critical) and laboratory of experiment and artistic production.
