In 2008 Quentin Cornet and I worked on a project in Guinea, called Residence 0. In September 2012, we went back to Guinea to realize two new workshops: a research exploration workshop with professional craftsmen and a design workshop with the students from I’ISAG. The workshops were structured in a manner that allowed for open discussion and criticism. The finishing product was showcased for one day at Jardin du 2 octobre, a local community park, and for a month at Le Petit Musee, a local gallery and institution.

Craftsmen Workshop:

The participants were wood craftsmen who, in regards to their profession, were still in the apprenticeship phase. For them, this workshop was a way of expressing themselves creatively without the critiques and pressures of more experienced craftsmen. I gave them a series of random hand-drawn forms, which they were encouraged to use subtlety while creating the forms of their new objects. These drawings were used to open a discussion and, in turn, a reflection of what could-be produced by a contemporary artist or sculptor in Guinea. The workshop ended with a large variety of sculptures far from what had existed before. This workshop was a unique opportunity for the craftsmen to reveal their artistic style. The sculptures were successfully sold at Le Petit Musee.