Simon Nicaise

Trained at École des Beaux-Arts in Rouen, Simon Nicaise works in the extended field of sculpture. He has exhibited across Europe and is the recipient of numerous awards. An artist-run-space and a radio station, whose broadcasts are a means of diffusing his contemporaries’ work, have added their strings to an artistic practice whose central premise is to endlessly explore ways of making the arts accessible. In 2018 Simon Nicaise began a Tour de France inspired by compagnonnage, a practice whereby apprentices travel around a country to work with and learn from master crafters. Going from town to town, he visited artisans who specialise in techniques as yet unfamiliar to him, to extend the scope of his practice. Simon Nicaise is the 2021 winner of the Prix Pierre Giquel for *Duuu radio.

For his residency project, Simon Nicaise will construct a mental fermentation vat, based on research into and experimentations with the sake brewing process. He will investigate its ecology and the mediums which are host to the micro-organisms in yeast, and the relationship these beings have with their environment.

The first step is to learn sake brewing terms, study tools and ingredients, observe each stage in the process, learn about fermentation, and study the ceremonies and traditions of sake drinking. This stage involves fieldwork, meeting artisan brewers, barrel-makers and poets.

The second stage is to “ferment” the elements gathered in the field and observe how they act within him, then begin to accompany these first movements. Thirdly, in the same way that yeast multiplies in the must, Simon Nicaise will envisage sculptural forms as an extension of his research. He also intends to incorporate two media which he activates during his Tour de France – the Pain Liquide review and *Duuu radio.