Charlotte Liguori, plastic artist touched (but not cast) by precariousness

On the walls of his workshop, his works.Painted canvases, especially abstract drawings in black and white, some poems.On the 6th floor of the squat of 59 rue de Rivoli, she can create, at any time of the day and sell her works to visitors who flock en masse from 1 p.m..Then, she will go for a coffee on one of the many sunny balconies of the building.There she will chat with a neighbor.Of thread by needle, the idea of a new creation will germinate their minds.She will return to her office where China ink and immaculate paper await him before going down admiring the opening of one of her """"roommates"""".And in the evening, perhaps, she will celebrate the departure of an artist, or the arrival of another.This is the life she has led since the beginning of April, and more particularly in mid-May, when the 59 reopened.

""""Here, there is only spontaneous,"""" she sighs.But don't be mistaken.This is a sigh of relief.Because being surrounded by artists in the same situation makes him a crazy.The visual artist adds: """"We can share and say that it is difficult.We squeeze our elbows.Everyone spins pipes """".The end of the tunnel, Charlotte, at a time when we speak - on June 1 -, sees it for the end of the month.Enthusiastic, she says: """"We all want to explode full of colors, to say that in fact, it's not all gray if we open the palette"""".

Fallen in spite of herself in precariousness

Seated on a narrow balcony, she puts her sunglasses back in place.The very present smell of painting that emanates from the inside mixes with the scents of Parisian Street.Dressed in a flowering dress without frills, the young woman ties her brown hair before starting: """"I sent my candidacy at 59 in November 2020"""".This arrival at the squat for three months - renewable up to 6 months - marks a break in his journey.Because for a year, and like many other artists, she has suffered full force the consequences of the COVID.The squat can testify to this: he recently launched a call for donations for the first time in his history.

Back in March 2020.""""At first, I found it cool because I had time to create.But how, or and who I sell? """"Difficult to give him an answer.During the summer, Charlotte understands that the exhibition halls will not open.Restaurants, with whom it has partnerships, either.Her drawing lessons, which she gives to children, resume only partially and with a reduced audience.In January, his APL aid also jump.""""How to pay a rent at 600 euros if I win 700? How am I going to eat? How did I buy my gear?""""So she reactivates her """"travel mode"""".Abroad for six years, where she lived small artistic creations, she sometimes ended up dry.She then readjusts her budget and makes choices.

Reinvent art

Returning from his world tour shortly before the pandemic, her first six months in the capital take place wonderfully.""""There was a lot of emulation in a short time,"""" she recalls.But when everything stops, a question taps it: how to continue showing art?You have to reinvent yourself: """"I wrote poems at the end of the first confinement but there was no one to read them.Suddenly, I put them on the Vélib ’.Each person who takes one will see them """".

In the absence of enclosed places, it uses the public space thoroughly.She sticks definitions of words that echo her on the walls.""""Smile"""", """"mood"""" or """"essential"""".""""What does that mean exactly?"""" She questions, when she too often felt forgotten in recent months.""""We were a little put aside, the plastic artists.We talked a lot about intermittent workers, but artists, not so much.We did not have the same aids.This is my first year of work in France as an entrepreneur, I manage what.""""

Beware of the mistake: Charlotte is not the type to be sorry for her fate. """"Je n’en ressors pas plus forte avec mon porte-monnaie mais j'ai appris beaucoup de choses, comme des moyens de transmettre.""""She wants to be positive and describes herself as someone happy.Her smile testifies, she who has a sunny day of artistic creation may be enough for her happiness. """"Je suis sensible au monde. Ça fait 5 ans que j’en ai pris conscience"""", relate-t-elle.

Empathique, elle avoue """"y travailler"""" parce que ce n’est pas facile. """"C’était difficile à gérer, les morts du covid."""" Elle hésite, se mort la lèvre, puis développe : """"Je me suis coupé des informations.I am aware of what's going on, but it's so anxiety.""""To her financial precariousness is then added a kind of mental precariousness to which she finds a personal parade. """"Tous les mois, j’ai recouvert des papiers blancs de points noirs pour sortir ce que j’avais à l’intérieur.These are the unsaid.It allowed me to express.""""

Avoid projects

This approach, Charlotte also applies it in one of her works on which she has been working since 2014. """"Dans les médias, on est bombardé d’informations négatives.It goes, and we forget. J’ai du mal à comprendre comment on devient insensible"""", détaille-t-elle.She refuses to forget, to get used to. Elle réutilise ces infos dans son travail visuel : """"Dans la répétition d’un geste, d’un trait ou d’un point, je recherche à comprendre et à sentir la douleur, à me souvenir en emmagasinant"""".

À ce travail s’ajoute un documentaire intitulé """"Qu’est ce que l’art apporte ?"""", prévu pour décembre, un voyage sac-à-dos sur les épaules au Mexique, des expos et des cours de dessin qui vont reprendre totalement. """"Le 59 a accéléré beaucoup de choses"""", sourit-elle, """"Lève la tête et continue de marcher car il y a de jolies choses qui arrivent"""".Difficult not to believe it given the program that awaits it.