kill your darlings (2020), in situ installation, mistletoe on chassis and neon lights, 2,5 x 2,5 m, ESACM, Clermont-Fd (FR).

An ambivalent plant, mistletoe embodies both parasitism, requiring a host plant species, and the custom of coming together. Installed in the entrance hall of the ESACM (Clermont-Ferrand), the installation delineates a zone within a white cube-style passage area. Sourced from the Massif Central, the birth region of maxime paillassou, the harvested mistletoe here questions the relationships of dependency and domination between urban and rural spaces. Designed to dry and evolve throughout the exhibition, the installation prompts ambiguous interactions among the audience, between the memory of the traditional kiss and the social distancing brought on by the global pandemic.