About
Homepage → Eleonore Piret
My name is Eleonore Piret, I am a French and Moroccan multi-media artist studying photography in London. I'm interested in abstraction, the unseen and ways of exploring the transcendent through photography, video and other media. I have always drawn, painted and created. My multi-nationality has always given me many perspectives on my work and the world. I read a lot of philosophy to nourish my reflection on the abstract.
To begin our interview, I noticed you recently curated an installation exhibition titled 'Brûlure.' I'm very interested in learning more. Could you tell us about this project?
Of course. “Brûlure" explores Moroccan culture through witchcraft and Gnawa rituals using photomicrography and thematic engagement with the element of burn. Stemming from a transformative experience during a Gnawa ceremony, the project employs microscopy to uncover hidden dimensions. Natural elements from Moroccan witchcraft are intricately engraved onto sheep leather from Fez, symbolizing sacrifice and spiritual resonance, each artwork serving as a testament to creation’s unity and sacrificial narrative, enhanced by Gnawa ceremonial sounds.
The project critically examines how art intertwined with spirituality navigates these forces of erasure through thematic engagement with burn, textured surfaces, and photomicrography, metaphorically excavating hidden dimensions within Moroccan spirituality and reclaiming sidelined narratives. At its core, "Brûlure" embodies the intersection of art and activism, challenging Western domination and cultural hegemony while amplifying traditionally silenced voices. By fostering dialogue on cultural sovereignty, decolonization, and democratizing art spaces, it sparks conversations on spirituality's role in identity and resistance.
What inspired the creation of this project?
The genesis of "Brûlure" stemmed from a transformative experience during a Gnawa ceremony in Morocco in the summer of 2023. Gnawa practitioners, revered as musicians, guides, and magicians, bridge the material and spiritual realms through music, inspiring my research into their rituals' intricacies. Using microscopy, I explored these hidden dimensions.
How are photographs utilized? And, what is the significance of the sound?
Photographs capture natural elements from Moroccan witchcraft, each image reflecting spirits invoked during ceremonies. These images are intricately engraved onto sheep leather from Fez, symbolizing sacrifice and spiritual resonance, infusing each piece with the essence of fire—a cornerstone of Moroccan magic.
The incorporation of Gnawa ceremonial sounds enhances the immersive experience, inviting viewers into a realm rich with spiritual significance and cultural resonance. These sounds contribute to the thematic unity and sacrificial narrative embodied by the sheep, enriching the sensory engagement with the project.
What is the relation of the book Le Septième Jour—l’Arbre de Vie" in relation to "Brûlure"?
"Le Septième Jour—l’Arbre de Vie" extends the thematic inquiry of "Brûlure," delving deeper into ritualistic and sacred themes. This publication continues the exploration started on leather, combining photographs with research from "The Alchemy of Spirits - Postritual Reflection." It underscores my commitment to authentically represent Moroccan rituals while avoiding voyeuristic tendencies.
Could you shift the focus to your book now and provide an introduction?
"Le Septième Jour—l'Arbre de Vie" explores the ritualistic and sacred through photomicrography, textures, and light.
It aims to capture the essence of Moroccan rituals and ancestral healing ceremonies, particularly Gnawas, to understand and represent them without being voyeuristic. Given their secrecy and precision, I chose one of the most meticulous medium, the microscope, to explore their intricacies. The abstract and experimental form chosen brings back the spirits called and invoked during those rituals; it is an attempt to see them through the lens.
The work transcends the borders of photography to not only showcase Morocco's cultural and spiritual depth but also to resist Western domination and artistic hegemony. The unseen cannot be colonised.
"The Alchemy of Spirits—Postritual Reflexion", the brochure inside the book, is a text exploring the ritual and its presence in our contemporary art world. It is an attempt to understand and explain how indigenous rituals can be authentically recognised as a practice or work of art and their implications for a broader understanding of art and spirituality in a global context. It questions our relationship between indigenous rituals and our own. The research addresses the question of the Western gaze, our connection to spirituality and creativity in a capitalist world. "Is art only defined by the intention of the person who portrays himself as an artist, or can an external viewpoint determine what is art and what is not?.
Taking a step back, how did you first become interested in photography, particularly analog?
My first experience with film dates back to 2018, when a friend of my mother's came to visit us for a few days. He was a photographer, mainly into film. He explained and showed me everything, from laying down the film to developing and printing. Together we created a darkroom in my bathroom, he asked me to go and take photos around my house during the day and to finish a roll of film on my mother's magnificent Leica. I didn't remember all the calculations, but I already had experience of cameras because I went to a secondary school specialising in film and audio-visual studies. I went home and we developed my photos together, then on Ilfrod paper, I made my first prints. After that experience I never stopped taking photos. Almost never digital. It all happened very quickly and I wanted to experiment with everything I had around me. I took pictures of my friends, of nature, and little by little I found what I liked to do. That's when photography could really touch me.
What place does occupy in your life? Is it part of your work or more of a hobby?
I have a strange relationship with photography. I'm always afraid of being a voyeur when I take a photo. I always try not to annoy anyone by taking a photo, not to be just behind the camera. But it's almost like an addiction. I always think of photography as professional deformation, but sometimes I realise that I'm seeing the world through a viewfinder and that amuses me. Film photography is part of my passion and my life, I don't take digital photos. I only got my first digital camera last year, but after realising that I was taking far too many photos with it and that I wasn't able to sort them out, I only use it when I have to. I don't go out with my camera every day any more, I stopped when I thought it was too much and that I shouldn't be waiting to capture everything to get the best shot.
Can you describe your creative process?
Inspiration often strikes when I'm at my saddest. I can't force it, that's why it's difficult sometimes at university, my creativity comes when I give myself time to think, to read, to watch films, and when I'm not thinking about creating. I've always said to myself that once could last for years. I'm not looking to create all the time, I always give myself time to do other things. Reading is definitely the art that gives me the most inspiration.
In closing, are there any artists, regardless of their medium, who have made a significant impact on your life and work?
I am a big fan of painting of Caravaggio, and baroque italian painter in general. But the work on light of Caravaggio always touches me more. The writter Kundera is also a big source of inspiration for me as all of his books touches me really deeply.
It was great having you with us for this interview, Eleonore. To view more of her work, follow her on Instagram at @eleonorepiret.