Today Munchies Art Club Magazine present the French contemporary artist duo Les Soeurs Siamoises in our special Artist Feature.
Once designers, they now spend all their time composing incredible creations in their studio and apartment in Paris. Dive into their world and enjoy!
WHO ARE THE ARTISTS LES SOEURS SIAMOISES?
Les Soeurs Siamoises soeur Sylvie and soeur Frédéric are a French contemporary artistic duo, living in France.
Composing the most amazing artworks together, coexisting preferably secluded in their combined living and working space in Paris.
If you google them, you will find images and a French website that they plan to take offline. Otherwise, the information is vague, anonymous.
Yet on Instagram they have 10,2K followers, and most of the artists I have featured so far are already fans.
Susan Carr one of our wonderful featured artists was part of a collective painting show this year at La Grange Gallery, Reims, at which the Soeurs Siamoises also participated.
It's a small world.
This once again goes to confirm that there is so much new art to discover on Instagram, also confirming that with such an abundance it is sometimes possible to overlook the gems.
But thanks to Instagram's algorithms, you can in time find exactly the new unique and exquisite examples of modern-day talent you are looking for.
When I came upon their Instagram account, I fell in love instantly.
I asked them if they would share with me, and I was thrilled when they agreed. They shared these incredible paintings, and answered my questions so candidly, allowing for a whole new relationship with their art.
It's extraordinary when two artists sync to such an extent that you can not identify two minds behind a piece.
There are many amazing famous art duos, Elmgreen and Dragset, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Abramovic and Ulay there is Komar and Melamid, Christo and Jeanne- Claude, Niki de Saint Phalle & Jean Tinguely, Edward and Nancy Kienholz, Gilbert & George and now new on our list, we add Les Soeurs Siamoises.
WE ASKED THE ARTISTS A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO ART?
Art, in general, is a unique thing we deeply feel is essential.
It makes us feel alive.
It’s the only place where we can experiment the right to do it all wrong. And we love it!!
WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO INSTAGRAM?
Instagram has its eyes wide open on the art world. We can daily follow other artists', follow how they evolve.
It’s a really happy moment for our eyes and mind.
Also, it was the medium we used at first to show our work and to get feedback about it.
HOW IMPORTANT IS DIGITALIZATION FOR YOU IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR ART PRACTICE?
We use tablet graphics and software to make short films, we also use it to make Typhoon for serigraphy.
WHY DO YOU CALL YOURSELVES SIAMESE SISTERS, COULD YOU EXPLAIN HOW THAT CAME ABOUT AND HOW THAT WORKS?
We are both traumatized by our familial background.
We recognize in each other the same trauma: as a result, we have this need to hide from others.
We also work together because we believe our work is stronger and richer when we do.
It also gives us the strength to work harder.
WHY IS IT THAT ON YOUR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT, WHAT YOU DO IS NOT REALLY OBVIOUS? WHO PAINTS WHAT, NOT MUCH INFORMATION ON THE MEDIUM. IS THAT DONE ON PURPOSE?
We don’t want things to be too obvious.
At the end, who cares who did what? and when?
Again, it’s not about us as individuals but about our common work.
We can talk loudly and have strong opinions about things, but when it comes to our work, which reveals a lot about us, we become very embarrassed.
Our artist name is a way to hide us, and yet it also reveals us: nobody knows who we are, but in the meantime, people can recognize that we feel the same way about things because we are siamese.
We have the same kind of vulnerability.
WHAT IS YOUR MEDIUM OF CHOICE?
We don’t have a medium we like more than another.
We are currently busy with painting on paper or cardboard because we feel like it. But we love to work on sculpture, modeling, pictures, animation.
DID THE PANDEMIC AFFECT YOUR WORK STYLE?
Yes, the pandemic changed something in our work. It gives us more determination.
The inside world can offer a lot when the outside world seems stuck or even worse, on fire.
WHEN, WHERE DO YOU WORK BEST?
It took us years to find a correct place to work. In 5 years We moved 5 times.
The last studio was so hot that we couldn’t work in spring and summer.
In Paris, there is no more space for artists.
Now we are in an apartment, we have arranged it like a studio. Both of us like to work in the morning.
We Try To Have A Beautiful, Creative, Messy Space Around Us. It Keeps Us In A Good Working Mood.
Because we recently moved, a lot still has to be done till it's arranged the way we want.
WHERE, HOW DO YOU USUALLY GET INSPIRED?
We are inspired by news, by daily life, by a painter’s work, pictures.
Sometimes the whole process starts with a sentence, a book, but it can be only a feeling: an emotion.
We are deeply shocked by how violent our world can be when it comes to poverty, social and racial inequalities.
WHAT DOES SUCCESS MEAN TO YOU?
Success for us means more time for work.
We have a lot to do.
Our dream? To be locked up by ourselves at the studio 100 percent of the time.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON CURRENTLY?
We are working on a series of painting about horses.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR WEBSITE AND YOUR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT. CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT THAT?
Maybe we should shut down our website... We both studied design first, and after a career separate from each other, we met and decided to work together as designers.
We were so surprised by how chilly and humorless our clients were when it came to creativity and ideas that we decided to proceed without them: We began our own art project.
Our first move was to set free our creativity, and really it's the best thing we ever did for ourselves!
SHORT CV:
2020
August 29th - September 19th TOC + Yellow cube gallery « Damaged Goods »
Collective exhibition. With Moolinex, Paquito Bolino…
September 26th - October 4th Collective Painting exhibition at La grange Gallery, Reims. With Maria Lundström, Luc Pierre, Susan Carr, Karl Bielik. (@la_grange_gallery)
October Original artworks on paper to sell at La Galerie Dys @dysxs Belgium.
2021
May 19th to May 25th «Nouvelle figuration contemporaine»
Collective painting exhibition, Openbach Galerie, Paris. (@openbach_galerie)
15th -19th September Art on paper Brussels international Contemporary Drawing Fair -
Galerie Dys @galeriedys
October 16th Front-page of la tranchée Racine. Curator Stephane Blanquet.
United dead artist publisher. (@latrancheeracine)
UPCOMING OR CURRENT SHOWS:
November: Very soon release of a book by joie et panique - Le Bestiaire des Soeurs Siamoises. (@joiepaniqueeditions)
November 25th to December 18th Pop galerie 15 Quai du Savoir d’Or, Sète. (@popgalerie). Collective exhibition with Anne Van Der Linden, Nathalie Salé, etc…
