Studio Orta

Lucy Orta’s body of work work concerns the Other: This other, which society has placed on the periphery; this other which can become itself; this other in which we are all found, and which is excluded from the Teatrum Mundi, the characteristic daily humdrum of sociality. This other is cloistered, deprived of role and function. Born at the end of the eighties, during a period of economic crisis, the work of Lucy Orta is defined with respect to this situation of unparalleled difficulty and exclusion, in the hell of the modern spiral. Today’s world is marked by an extreme fragility and precariousness. No one can be spared. The fall, with no safety net at the bottom, can be a long one or can follow a swallow dive trajectory. Deprived of work, money, shelter, the third world is gradually invading the major capitals. Survival is the new slogan of the decade. By involving individuals in difficulty, whether isolated or as part of a group, and encouraging them to participate in collective actions consisting notably of producing Refuge Wear or Survival Kits, the artist clearly raises the question of the citizen, underlining his role as a part of the whole. To be a citizen is to participate in society, even if in France a tradition of sharing social responsibilities does not really exist. Jerome Sans