Recently in Paris, Whitewall Projects unveiled an inaugural group presentation. On view alongside Art Basel Paris, nearby the Grand Palais, the exhibition, “From Nature” cascaded throughout a stunning Parisian apartment on 37 Roosevelt 75008 Paris. Deftly curated by Emma Donnersberg, Marion Guggenheim, and Nicolas Dewavrin, the mesmeric show spotlit visionaries Maho Nakamura, Fabien Adèle, Louis Alcaraz, Apollinaria Broche, Mia Chaplin, Eugénie Didier, Daria Dmytrenko, DRIFT, Sasha Ferré, Pandora Graessl, Rafael Y. Herman, Alexandre Lenoir, William Macnad, Ileana García Magoda, Kami Mierzvvinsk, and Roman Moriceau. The elegant presentation was staged by Donnersberg, strengthened by Flos lighting and Diptyque fragrances.
Moriceau graduated from Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts d’Angers (2003). By fiercely experimenting with the material possibilities of photography, Moriceau probes the notion of time as a transformative force. His works explore the relationship between the experiences of the body and nature, and offer multi-sensory dimensions. By combining ephemeral materials with industry and mass production, the visionary’s photographs highlight the underlying ecological and political issues in the landscapes of our everyday lives.
His recent exhibitions include: ”Silver and Gold” (solo), Galerie Derouillon, Paris (2024); “Rose is a Rose is a Rose”, MACVAL, Paris (2023); “Horizons Olfactifs”, Fondation Espace Écureuil pour l’Art Contemporain, Toulouse (2023); “Sammeln”, Villa Schöningen, Potsdam (2022); and many more. Whitewall had the opportunity to speak to the masterful creative about evoking the fragility and interconnectedness of life through a creative and innovative lens.
Roman Moriceau; Portrait by Bettina Moriceau-Maillard.
WHITEWALL: How would you describe your creative practice?
ROMAN MORICEAU: My practice is an exploration of transformation and the relationship between time, matter, and environment. I seek to capture moments of metamorphosis, whether subtle or dramatic, using different mediums. My work brings together elements of photography, organic materials, and sensory experiences to evoke the fragility and interconnectedness of life. It plays with layers, revealing and concealing, creating a dialogue between presence and absence. I am constantly seeking to capture the fleeting, the ephemeral, and to weave them into visual poetry that challenges the boundaries between memory, loss, and the illusion of permanence.
“My work brings together elements of photography, organic materials, and sensory experiences to evoke the fragility and interconnectedness of life,”
Roman Moriceau
A Conceptual Connection to Mother Nature
WW: How do you see your work in relation to nature?
RM: While nature is a presence in my work, it’s often through an artificial lens. I’m more interested in how nature can be distorted or reimagined within constructed spaces—how it is framed, aestheticized, or even manipulated. My connection to nature is more conceptual, as I seek to explore the boundaries between what is natural and what is artificially imposed, creating a space where both coexist in tension. My work is a call for re-sensitizing ourselves to the world around us.
“My work is a call for re-sensitizing ourselves to the world around us,”
Roman Moriceau
Roman Moriceau, “Botanische garten Leaves,” 2019, 52 x 39.5 cm, photo by © Grégory Copitet, courtesy of the artist and Galerie Derouillon.
Creating Dreamlike Images Invoking a European Past
WW: Can you tell us about the pieces that will be on view in the exhibition?
RM: These are pieces from the “Botanische Garten” series, dreamlike images created from photographs taken at the Meise Botanical Garden (Brussels), where plants are organized by type rather than geography. This creates a fantastical landscape, existing only in this artificial jungle, which also includes species from King Leopold II‘s former colonial garden, evoking our European past. These images are made using copper dust, giving the surface a non-uniform, fragile appearance that reacts to changes in light. Copper introduces a temporal dimension as it oxidizes over a time span similar to that of a human, evolving from a rosy copper hue to a green patina over years or decades.
WW: What was the starting point of this work?
RM: The starting point was a visit to botanical gardens, where I found myself in dense and “exotic” spaces that did not belong to any particular reality but reflected a fascination for “elsewhere” and a kind of reduction and standardization of its representation.
Reclaiming and Transforming Materials to Investigate Memory and Time
WW: Where do you typically begin with an artwork?
RM: I usually begin with an idea or concept around the living, memory, or time, often sparked by materials I encounter. The process of reclaiming and transforming found objects or photographic residues is central to the inception of my works. I’m always searching for ways to let the material tell its own story, using its inherent characteristics to guide the final form.
“I’m always searching for ways to let the material tell its own story, using its inherent characteristics to guide the final form,”
Roman Moriceau
WW: What draws you to the materials you work with?
RM: I’m drawn to materials that have lived a previous life, those that carry traces of history, memory, or organic processes. This includes reclaimed silver, glass, hemp, or even discarded wool. These materials not only speak to ecological issues but also offer a poetic connection between past and present, decay and transformation.
Roman Moriceau, “Botanische garten Forest,” 2019, 146.5 x 105.5 cm, photo by © Grégory Copitet, courtesy of the artist and Galerie Derouillon.
A Parisian Studio for Grounding the Creative Process
WW: Can you tell us about your studio?
RM: My studio is located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. It has two distinct spaces: a place where I carry out my research, documentation and digital work, and a larger space for experimentation and production.
WW: What is a typical day like for you there?
RM: A typical day starts after dropping my daughters off at school. Once I arrive at the studio, I practice transcendental meditation and then I make myself a coffee and put on an NTS playlist. Music accompanies me throughout the day and acts as a catalyst for my emotions. I answer emails and dive into research on topics that captivate me at the moment, gathering images and sounds. The afternoon is dedicated to production, experimentation, or bike rides in search of abandoned objects that will serve as materials for future projects.
WW: Is there an element of your creative process you make sure to do each day?
RM: Every day, I make sure to create a space for observation and reflection, with meditation being one of the ways to achieve this. There is always a moment of quiet focus that grounds the creative process.
“Every day, I make sure to create a space for observation and reflection,”
Roman Moriceau
WW: What are you working on next in the studio?
RM: I’m continuing the series using recycled silver salts for Paris Photo, producing a record from a performance during my last exhibition “Silver and Gold” at Galerie Derouillon, and experimenting with new technical approaches related to multisensory installations.
