Diptyque and Joël Andrianomearisoa Invite Us to Imagine a New Elswhere
For the occasion of Paris+ par Art Basel, fragrance maison Diptyque has given carte blanche to the artist Joël Andrianomearisoa to imagine an installation of his choosing at the fair. Aligning with the house’s roots in the arts and its continued mission to promote creativity, Andrianomearisoa has conceived a trilogy entitled “UN AUTRE MONDE” that combines the artist’s creative signature with an olfactory component, inviting visitors to let their senses carry them to a dream of another world or un autre monde.
The Artist’s Driving Force is to Materialize Emotions
Inspired by the endless geographies and temporalities that coexist in the world, Andrianomearisoa’s practice is driven by an urge to offer a physical representation of emotion—a task he approaches through drawing, text, paper, and sculpture. “I would say that my work does not provide solutions, nor does it seek a truth; it is an exercise in materializing emotions,” he said. With this in mind, the artist embarked on his second creative collaboration with the house, following a project in 2021 for the maison’s 60th anniversary.
Joël Andrianomearisoa, “DANS UN SOUFFLE SUR UN SONGE CONTER UN AUTRE MONDE,” 2023, Sculpture, steel, black paint, courtesy of the artist, © Paul Lehr for Diptyque.
Joël Andrianomearisoa’s Project for Diptyque Unfolds Across Three Works
Placed in the center of a white presentation space at the fair, the conceptual trilogy begins with a large, metal sculpture that offers a poem in neat, black metal text. Its featured words and matching title state, “DANS UN SOUFFLE SUR UN SONGE CONTER UN AUTRE MONDE” (IN A BREATH IN A DREAM NARRATING ANOTHER WORLD). It is simple yet poignant, requiring the viewer to pause and consider its meaning in relation to their own inner universe—what might they find in another world?
The second part is a delicate, wall-hung field of ruffles, crafted from careful folds of black tissue paper. The work, titled THE LABYRINTH OF PASSIONS, oozes the essence of the world, thanks to a clever diffusion of the Diptyque scent L’Autre, made up of 27 notes from regions around the globe, including nutmeg, clary sage, cumin, and caraway. When combined with the powerful associations that come with scent, those taking in the paper collage might find themselves in a daydream, picturing “The Other,” after which the fragrance has been named.
Joël Andrianomearisoa, “UN AUTRE MONDE,” 2023, Printing on Munken paper, texts, images, archives, edition of 2500, courtesy of the artist, © Paul Lehr for Diptyque.
Finally, the titular work, UN AUTRE MONDE, takes the form of a bound book, which has been compiled like a sort of manifesto. Detailing stories of his own existence and that of the fragrance house, accompanied by imagery, illustrations, dreams, and desires, viewers are invited to take a copy for themselves and flip through its pages while thinking of their own “other.”
“I am not saying that another world exists, but that there is a way of projecting ourselves towards an elsewhere, of traveling through our dreams, by shifting our vision or by using a fragrance, a melody, a texture, accordingly to each person’s reference,” said Andrianomearisoa.
Joël Andrianomearisoa’s Concept Stretches Beyond the Installation
Accompanying the physical installation, are three temporalities conceived by the artist that carry the concept. Prior to the opening, the first stage began when Andrianomearisoa extended personal invitations to various individuals in a projection of the story to come. The second temporality is the existence of the show, which includes Diptyque’s boutique window display of the artist’s work inspiring passersby throughout the city. For the third and final chapter, Andrianomearisoa will select a group of individuals to receive a lithograph of his poem as a souvenir or a memory, by which the concept can continue to exist infinitely.
Joël Andrianomearisoa, “THE LABYRINTH OF PASSIONS,” Collage, tissue paper, textile, and Diptyque’s L’Autre scent, 2023, courtesy of the artist, © Paul Lehr for Diptyque.
