I Is a Monster

Maison d’Ailleurs – Museum of Science Fiction, Utopia and Extraordinary Journeys Place Pestalozzi 14 - 1400 Yverdon-les-Bains – Switzerland T: + 41 24 425 64 38 – F: + 41 24 425 65 75 – @: www.ailleurs.ch

I is a Monster

PRESS KIT / Practical information

Maison d’Ailleurs Museum of Science Fiction, Utopia and Extraordinary Journeys

Place Pestalozzi 14 CH – 1400 Yverdon-les-Bains T. : + 41 24 425 64 38 @ : www.ailleurs.ch

Exhibition open from November 13, 2020, to October 24, 2021 Tuesday-Sunday 11am - 6 pm

Press conference Wednesday, November 11, 2020, at 10:30 am

Opening Friday November 13, 2020, from 5 pm

- 1 - SUMMARY

The exhibition: “I is a monster” p. 3

Biography of the artists p. 4 Benjamin Lacombe, Laurent Durieux

Around the exhibition p. 5 Works and objects presented in the exhibition, Catalogue, Thematic booklet, Cultural mediation program

Opening p. 8

Partners p. 9

- 2 - THE EXHIBITION: “I IS A MONSTER” 13.11.2020 – 24.10.2021

The monster is surely one of the most famous motifs in fantasy and science fiction: Frankenstein, Dracula and others cross paths, in the 20th century, with aliens, giant robots and modified humans. However, besides the fascination generated by such representations, the question remains as to what these monsters are telling us from the confines of their strangeness. Are they mere sensationalist curiosities? Or, on the contrary, do they play an essential role vis à vis our humanity, always in a tug-of-war between elsewhere and here? In other words, should contemporary fiction be read or seen as eccentric entertainment or, conversely, as devices which, through the use of unconventional figures, allow us to think differently about who we are?

“I is a Monster” is the title given to the new exhibition of the Maison d’Ailleurs: an ambitious exhibition aimed at examining the notion of “monster” by focusing on the pivotal period between 1820-1930. Indeed, monsters, considered to be divine signs in Antiquity, then the offspring of Satan in the Middle Ages, were seen, from the end of the 18th century, as symbolic tools for denouncing human monstrosities. The beginning of the 19th century, for its part, saw the monster naturalised, following teratological research by Saint-Hilaire, and reintegrated into a humanity that was too sure of its exceptionality: the monster resembles us. At the same time as this process of « humanisation », monsters began to appear in circuses and fiction; they became the witnesses, albeit involuntary, of the birth of a society of the spectacle and the means, very symbolic, of an aesthetic reflection on this same society. Thanks to the works exhibited for the first time in Switzerland by the artists Benjamin Lacombe (France) and Laurent Durieux (Belgium), the Maison d’Ailleurs offers you a journey which will take place in a monumental scenography inspired by 19th century circuses, allowing visitors to the Museum in Yverdon to restore all its richness to a notion so well known that it has become opaque: the monster, later absorbed by the notion of infirmity, is an opportunity to see ourselves differently. Rimbaud’s “I is another” will therefore become, at the Maison d’Ailleurs, an “I is a Monster”: the monstrous other has never been more necessary to understand that monsters, very often, are ourselves.

- 3 - BIOGRAPHY OF THE ARTISTS

BENJAMIN LACOMBE (F)

Born in 1982, Benjamin Lacombe is a French artist trained at the “École supérieure des arts décoratifs”. While studying, he also worked in animation and advertising. At the age of 19, he published his first book, Cerise Griotte, which was well received. Since then, he has been active in comics, illustration and children’s books, and regularly exhibits his work.

While his favourite themes cover mainly classic children’s literature, his fairytale illustrations give birth to a visual universe inherited from both Gothic art and manga aesthetics. Among his influences, Tim Burton is central (Lacombe has moreover taken part in an exhibition paying tribute to him). But the young French artist is above all a book lover, so much so that he always goes back to the source and gives an interpretation that allows us to rediscover the original texts, whether it be Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz or, most recently, Bambi. This approach also extends to his illustration of literary classics such as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo or The Macabre Tales by Edgar Allan Poe. He is also curator of several editions of the books he illustrates and prefaces, and which he accompanies with a dense paratextual apparatus putting the history of the book into perspective – from its origins to its reception.

An author himself, he also collaborates as an illustrator with numerous writers, in particular Sébastien Pérez. His work as an illustrator, acclaimed by the critics, allowed him to be selected for two consecutive years for the Astrid-Lindgren Prize, a major honour for children’s literature; he was also chosen by the Time Magazine as one of the ten best children’s illustrators of this decade. This in no way prevents his illustrations from being exhibited in contemporary art galleries.

LAURENT DURIEUX (B)

A Belgian graphic designer and illustrator born in 1970, Laurent Durieux is drawn to screen printing and poster art. He creates so-called “alternative” posters – that is, unofficial and non- commercial posters – of classic or cult films. His artistic touch can be seen in his ability to hijack the codes of commercial posters to offer narrative and evocative images, which offer a reinterpretation of the film, a new approach, while advocating the use of a vintage aesthetic.

His posters are most often commissioned from the MONDO cinema in Austin, Texas, which specialises in showing classic films and which has set up an art gallery and a store with merchandise that they have produced themselves. Laurent Durieux’s posters are very popular with cinema enthusiasts, as they work almost “retroactively”: once one has seen the film, the poster plunges us into the memory of a scene which may seem insignificant, but which precedes the climax of the plot for example, or prepares for the revelation of a secret… Durieux says with modesty that he is a novice in the field: this is surely what allows him to approach the great classics without any inhibitions.

Among Durieux’s posters that have captured the public’s attention, it was his tributes to Jacques Tati that made him known in France. As for the United States, it is success without limit, since all these numbered prints are sold out: his posters for Jaws seduced Steven Spielberg, and it is Francis Ford Coppola himself who prefaced his monograph Mirages. Tout l’art de Laurent Durieux (Huginn & Muninn, 2019). Note that typography occupies an important place in the creation of Durieux’s posters: it is his brother Jack, also his agent, who is responsible for this. Together, they created NAUTILUS ART PRINT – a company that brings together a collective of European artists offering alternative movie posters. Among these artists we find, among others, François Schuiten...

- 4 - AROUND THE EXHIBITION...

13.11.2020 – 24.10.2021

WORKS AND OBJECTS PRESENTED IN THE EXHIBITION • 170 original plates and reproductions by Benjamin Lacombe from his various books. • 5 original sculptures inspired by the main characters of Benjamin Lacombe (Dorothy, Alice, etc.). • 1 movie on the work of Benjamin Lacombe. • 25 original screenprints by Laurent Durieux, all related to science fiction monster movies. • 1 unseen movie on the work of Laurent Durieux. • 17 reproductions of old images of monsters made from the valuable collections of the Maison d’Ailleurs. • 14 figurines of classic monsters (Frankenstein, the Mummy, etc.) from the collections of the Maison d’Ailleurs. • 9 science fiction monster figurines selected from the Maison d’Ailleurs’ collections. • 8 monster movie posters and lobby cards selected from the Maison d’Ailleurs’ collections. • 7 different original editions of The Wizard of Oz by Lyman Frank Baum, from the Maison d’Ailleurs’ collections. • 8 original editions of fairy tales or classic children’s books (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Grimms’ Fairy Tales, Snow White...) selected from the valuable collections of the Maison d’Ailleurs. • 13 superhero comic books selected from the Maison d’Ailleurs’ collections for their composition pitting monsters and superheroes against each other. • 6 original audiovisual productions made for the exhibition.

- 5 - CATALOGUE This catalogue – entitled La Parade monstrueuse. La naissance des monstres modernes (The Monstrous Parade. The Birth of Modern Monsters) – expands and explores the exhibition with more depth around the notion of “monsters”. Dracula, Frankenstein’s creature, Godzilla, but also the mad scientists, the Freaks and the mutants... From the literary serials of the 19th century to the Hammer horror films of the 1930s, the world has endowed itself with a new mythology. In this richly illustrated book, specialists and historians, all teacher- researchers at the University of Lausanne, return to this period of intense creativity which gave birth to modern monsters.

Book written under the direction of Marc Atallah. Illustrations by Benjamin Lacombe, Laurent Durieux and the Maison d’Ailleurs’ iconographic collection. Summary of the articles: - “Je est un monstre”, by Marc Atallah - “Le monstre comme signe divin ?”, by MatthieuLPM Cover.inddPellet, 1 UNIL 22/09/2020 23:46 - “Le monstre et le savant fou”, by Dominique Kunz Westerhoff, UNIL - “Dévorées des yeux”, by Stéphane Tralongo, UNIL - “Du monstrueux et du fantastique”, by Danielle Chaperon, UNIL - “Des machines et des monstres”, by Marta Caraion, UNIL - “Monstres modernes et science-fiction”, by Marc Atallah

Technical description: 15 x 23 cm / Artbook / 1st edition: 4’000 copies / 256 pages / 130 illustrations CHF 35.- / 24,95 €

THEMATIC BOOKLET In order to continue its work on the popularisation of the role of science fiction in today’s world, the Maison d’Ailleurs chose to publish some short essays – « Les Collections de la Maison d’Ailleurs » – which offer several different points of view on the theme of the exhibition scheduled at the particular time, as well as an exceptional iconographic selection. Ten issues have already been published; this is the most recent:

N° 11 - Universal Monsters

« Les Collections de la Maison d’Ailleurs » est une série d’ouvrages qui réflé- 11

Frédéric Jaccaud 11 chissent aux thématiques phares de la science-fiction, tout en s’appuyant, à chaque fois, sur le fonds patrimonial du seul musée européen dédié à la This volume is an unpublished essay and is part of« Culture the SF ». Cette série extensiona également pour vocation de montrer comment of la science-fiction cherche à cerner ce que signifie être « humain » à l’heure the exhibition “I is a Monster”: it deals in particular deswith sciences et des technologies.mythological Universal Monsters est un essai inédit, qui s’ins- crit dans le prolongement de l’exposition « Je Universal monsters, witches, freaks, Promethean monsters, creaturesest un monstre » de la Maisonfrom d’Ailleurs. fairy Cette exposition de grande envergure visait à réfléchir tales, fairies and science fiction monsters. However,à laat question the du monstre heart ou, plutôt, auxof difféthis- Monsters Universal Monsters rentes conceptions qui sont venues qualifier ces êtres excentriques : il y était question, notam- vast monstrous parade, one of the exhibition roomsment, was de monstres dedicated mythologiques, de sor to- cières, de freaks, de monstres prométhéens et the famous “Universal Monsters” franchise, those cinematicde monstres science-fictionnels. monsters Or, au cœur de cette vaste parade monstrueuse, une des salles de l’exposition était dédiée à la célèbre fran- from the beginning of the 20th century which broughtchise des « Universalto life Monsters », popular ces monstres cinématographiques du début du XXe siècle qui cinema and literature, and prized by thrill-seekingont fait audiences.les beaux jours d’un cinéma populaire This et d’une littérature prisée par un public avide de sensations. Cet essai, écrit par Frédéric Jaccaud, essay, written by Frédéric Jaccaud, analyses withanalyse rigour avec rigueur autant both les films eux-mêmes the que les contextes de production et de récep- movies themselves and the contexts of productiontion ; and un texte passionnant, reception; qui permet de saisir a la complexité d’un phénomène filmique.

€ 7.30 / CHF 9.– fascinating text, which allows us to grasp the complexityISBN 978-2-37686-402-8 of a movie

phenomenon. de la Maison d’Ailleurs Collections Les Collections Les la Maison d’Ailleurs de

UniversalMonsters-Cover-PROD.indd 1-3 09.10.20 14:28 Summary: – “S’ouvrir à nos ombres”, by Marc Atallah – “Universal Monsters: observation d’un panthéon monstrueux”, by Frédéric Jaccaud

Technical description: 12 x 17,5 cm / soft square-back binding / 96 colour pages / 38 illustrations CHF 9.- / 7,30 €

- 6 - CULTURAL MEDIATION PROGRAMME

– Off to the monster museum! To discover the exhibition “I is a Monster”, the Maison d’Ailleurs offers a digital and fun device for our young public! Led by the Ringmaster and his troupe of performing dogs, visitors browse the exhibition with tablet in hand, and pass through a Monster Museum full of games and challenges. This interactive visit is also a storytelling stroll through the Monster Museum, an audio guide for adults with short monster stories. This interactive tour is available in French, German and English. – A la carte guided tours VTrue funambulists, the museum guides adapt to your needs and offer you a whole range of “tailor-made” services: • Visits for classes: Whether one chooses the self-guided tour with the educational package, or the guided tour by the museum hosts, schoolchildren will be able to explore the figure of the monster in all its aspects, from Frankenstein’s creature to Japanese yōkai. • Visits for families: From the Addams family to the Incredibles, monsters are often a family affair... On the last Sundays of school holidays, come and tame a monster, or even adopt one! • Gourmet tours: Intimate and exclusive, our gourmet tours will regale your taste buds. Guided through the exhibition by the museum’s director, Marc Atallah, you will relish the delicacies concocted by our top quality partners. – Activities for the young public and families Located in the heart of the museum, our mediation area hosts numerous creative workshops for children and families during the school holidays. Design your own Halloween mask, learn about screen printing, or even make a “Do it yourself” version of the game “Dr Maboul” – a host of fun and entertaining activities on the theme of monsters. Families will be able to gather around a “Bricobrunch” on Mother’s Day, or even participate in a monster hunt as part of the “Pakômuzé” activities. And like every year, young visitors can celebrate their birthdays at the Maison d’Ailleurs, with three options to choose from: Jules Verne’s Extraordinary Voyages, the LEGO exhibition, or our new superheroes animation! – Must see events The unmissable “Rendez-vous d’Ailleurs” have many variants! And there’s something for everyone:

• Cin&blabla: To see or watch again classics or little-known gems of the big screen, commented by researchers from the University of Lausanne. • Games nights: Whether you’re an avid board gamer or a fan of VR, adepts of Escape Rooms or unbeatable at the Burger Quiz, the museum welcomes you to spend some high spirited moments of glee with friends or family. • Afterworks: To discover the “Rock me Baby” exhibition in the company of Sébastien Mettraux, curator of the exhibition, and a special guest. Conferences, performances, readings, all complemented by a cocktail party with a retro atmosphere.

These exceptional events will allow you to discover the museum from another angle, for an unexpected and, we hope, unforgettable cultural experience! To register, a few clicks are required directly on our website: http://www.ailleurs.ch/agenda/

– A museum for all This mediation programme is made possible thanks to the support of Pro Infirmis and the Fondation Jeunesse & Familles. The Maison d’Ailleurs is committed to implementing an inclusive culture policy, with the goal of durability. For this purpose, we are preparing, in partnership with the “Inclusive Culture” service, a transversal development project that will allow us to meet the needs of people with disabilities and welcome them in the best possible conditions. From 2021, mediation activities for specific audiences will be announced on: www.ailleurs.ch.

- 7 - PARTNERS

PROJECT MANAGEMENT Maison d’Ailleurs Direction – curation Marc Atallah Administration Jonas Zigliani Conservation Frédéric Jaccaud Pauline Rouiller Communication, Marketing & Events Danilo Pierotti Cultural and Educational Program Mercedes Gulin Koch Technical Management Jérôme Vernez Visitor Service Jonathan Malgioglio

Scénography Serge Perret & L’Illustre Atelier Graphic Design Notter+Vigne & Danilo Pierotti

–– PARTNERS OF THE EXHIBITION

Main partners Partners Pro Infirmis Arts Visuels Vaud Ville d’Yverdon-les-Bains Service des affaires culturelles du Canton de Loterie romande Vaud Travys L’Illustre Atelier Ernest Gabella SA Official partners Artgraphic Cavin SA Albin Michel Ted Support Banque Cantonale Vaudoise Retraites Populaires Supports Fondation Jeunesse et Familles Cave des Viticulteurs de Bonvillars Association pour le Développement du Nord Boxer SA Vaudois La Semeuse AMDA Media partners Enzolocation Sàrl RTS Le Matin La Région ActuSF

–– CATALOGUE: LA PARADE MONSTRUEUSE Our thanks go to Huginn & Muninn

–– THEMATIC BOOKLET: UNIVERSAL MONSTERS Our thanks go to ActuSF Ernest Gabella SA AMDA

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