Born in Ivory Coast to a Russian father and an Armenian mother, raised in Paris and now living in the U.S, Elisabeth Arkhipoff creates art by melding connections between classic european tradition and pop culture, offering voyeuristic social commentary and bringing to the surface the irony behind many of our choices in life. She explores modern media, daily taboo and nascent aesthetic viewpoints across various mediums: collage, installation, video, conceptual projects, all pierced with the commonly themed arrow of generational blasphemy. Her work questions the way we construct our identity, first in relation to our own history, then to the world, and suggests a complex and exploded re-reading of our quest for individuation. An avid reader and book collector, her deep interest in books is multi faceted. Books are the seeds of her creations, and she uses them as a raw material with endless possibilities, as a medium and support for collage, inspirational sources to create “scenes” or installations, and as a delivery mechanism for imagination and culture. Graduating from Paris X University with a BA in Contemporary Literature and Philosophy, Elisabeth was approached by Marc Décimo, regent of the College of Pataphysics, “the science of imaginary solutions”, to partake in a show commemorating the 100 year birth of Jean-Pierre Brisset. Elisabeth produced a mixed media sound sculpture entitled Primitif. This opportunity, at age 22, proved to be hugely influential in her artistic philosophy and work to come. She simultaneously worked as writer and art critic, collaborating with numerous magazines including Nova, Le Nouvel Observateur, Beaux-Arts Magazine, BlocNotes. She interviewed art-world and design luminaries like Gilbert & George, Jeff Koons, Martin Kippenberger, Gerard Malanga, Paul Morrisey, Marc Newson, Gaetano Pesce and Bouroullec brothers. Elisabeth then spent two years in Paris Cergy National School of Art but was soon turned off by the French art school system when, presenting LA MEDIATHEQUE TERRE DE CIEL (a free lending bank of archives created to parasite/interfere with the library school), her professors questioned if that was really art. She parallelly presented this project to Hans Ulrich Obrist who then exhibited it at the Paris Museum of Modern Art as well as at The Kunstraum der Universitat Lüneburg in Germany. Elisabeth is tantalized by slogans and pop catch phrases, intrinsic beauty, philosophy, and counter culture coupled with the oft irony of attempting to be subversive. She often begins her creative process with the title, from there the work grows and begins to breathe on its own. In one of her earliest installations, NO SODA : NO FUN she explores this in depth by spray painting various phrases such as «School’s out, now what?» and «Who’s driving my bus?» across an all white living room. In Rock’n’Roll Suicide she plays with the idea that there is no revolution, as the rebel now puts shoe trees in his boots and keeps his leather jacket neatly hung. L’ECOLE DE LA RESPIRATION CONSCIENTE shows the hippie ideology being perverted by the consumer society, by realizing slogans such as God lives in a sugar cube as physical manifestations. Elisabeth pursues these themes through ongoing projects such as SPORT HIT PARADISE SPORT HIT PARADISE SPORT HIT PARADISE SPORT HIT PARADISE SPORT HIT PARADISE SPORT HIT PARADISE SPORT HIT PARADISE SPORT HIT PARADISE SPORT HIT PARADISE (started in 2004) a fictional band that has several records out, has been interviewed, and has played numerous live performances around the world with anonymous help from different musicians each time such as Gavin Russom, Japanther, Munk, To Live And Shave In L.A. Throughout the years, one of Arkhipoff’s mainstays is her COLLAGE WORK on books and books pages, developed around the theory of Detournement* established by Guy Debord, (*Any elements, no matter where they are taken from, can be used to make new combinations. The discoveries of modern poetry regarding the analogical structure of images demonstrate that when two objects are brought together, no matter how far apart their original contexts may be, a relationship is always formed. Restricting oneself to a personal arrangement of words is mere convention. The mutual interference of two worlds of feeling, or the juxtaposition of two independent expressions, supersedes the original elements and produces a synthetic organization of greater efficacy. Anything can be used. Mode d’emploi du détournement in Les Levres Nues,1956.) combining thematic images, that though seemingly disparate, converges effortlessly towards an inherent beauty regardless of the subject matter. As a poet brings various images into one poem, each collage is considered as a single evocation, “a layer of instants” as described by Gaston Bachelard, which explores the themes of Reverie, Time and Memory by establishing correspondences between machine, human and nature. Among collaborations with artists and designers like Laurent Fétis, Elisabeth applies her art to other fields such as FASHION ( Anna Sui, Swarovski , Marui, Yoshiko Creations , Karine Arabian , Eley Kishimoto, Unexpected Feeling & Sons ...), FASHION ( Anna Sui, Swarovski , Marui, Yoshiko Creations , Karine Arabian , Eley Kishimoto, Unexpected Feeling & Sons ...), FASHION ( Anna Sui, Swarovski , Marui, Yoshiko Creations , Karine Arabian , Eley Kishimoto, Unexpected Feeling & Sons ...), FASHION ( Anna Sui, Swarovski , Marui, Yoshiko Creations , Karine Arabian , Eley Kishimoto, Unexpected Feeling & Sons ...), FASHION ( Anna Sui, Swarovski , Marui, Yoshiko Creations , Karine Arabian , Eley Kishimoto, Unexpected Feeling & Sons ...), FASHION ( Anna Sui, Swarovski , Marui, Yoshiko Creations , Karine Arabian , Eley Kishimoto, Unexpected Feeling & Sons ...),MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC creating Posters and Record covers for Tristesse Contemporaine , Traxman , D-i-r-t-y, Japanther, Villeneuve , DJ Hell , Tahiti 80, Calvi Festival...),
directs videos and films (for M83 , Japanther and DJ Mehdi featuring FUTURA among others). Along with conferences and workshops (Cooper Union, New York, USA, FABRICA, Villorba, Italy...), her works have been shown around the world, Musée d’Art Moderne, Grand Palais and Galerie du Jour/Agnes b. in Paris, France; Taka Ishii Galery in Tokyo, Galerie Christian Nagel, Koln, Germany, Mirrorball-Edinburgh Film Festival, UK... and has been reproduced in numerous books, catalogues and magazines including: +81, Frieze, Creative Review, Grafik, IDEA, Vogue, Jalouse, Dazed & Confused and SHOWstudio.
PUBLICATIONS (selection)
MONOGRAPHY Gasbook 12, Elisabeth Arkhipoff & Laurent Fetis with Hans Ulrich Obrist and Gianni Romano (DesignEXchange Co.Ltd Japan. 2003)
BOOKS AND CATALOGUES
Graphic Fashion (BNN, Japan, 2012)
Creative Recipes for the Graffiti Generation
(Thames & Hudson, UK, 2008)
Ces Jeunes Gens Modernes (Galerie du Jour/Agnes b., France, 2008)
Revisionaries (Harry N. Abrams Inc., USA, 2007)
La Force de l’Art (Paris Musees, France, 2007)
Logo Archive (4D2A, Japan, 2007)
Influences: A Lexicon of Contemporary Graphic Design Practice (Die Gestalten Verlag, Germany, 2006)
The Record Covers (Blues Interaction, Japan, 2005) Fashion illustration Next (Thames & Hudson, UK, 2004)
Interarchive (Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Germany, 2003)
Voilà-Le Monde dans la Tête (Paris Musees, France, 2002)
MAGAZINES
+81(#50, 2011, Japan): Designer thoughts issue
Traxx (#, 2010, France): SPORT HIT PARADISE
Russh (#25, 2008, Australia): Profile: Elisabeth Arkhipoff D Casa (#669, 2009, Italy): Nuovi Artigiani, slow design fatto a mano Sportmax (online, 2008, Italy): Elisabeth Arkhipoff GRAFIK (#151, may 2007, UK): Profile: Elisabeth Arkhipoff
ID Pure (#10, spring 2007, Switzerland: Elisabeth Arkhipoff
GRAFIK (#147, january 2007, UK): Grafic Design Heroes
GRAFIK (#142, july 2006, UK): Grafic Design Heroes
UOVO (The PINK issue, 2006, Italy): SPORT HIT PARADISE
Atmosphere (#03, spring-summer 2006, Japan): Elisabeth Arkhipoff
Tokion (Feb-march 2006, USA): Creativity Now
GRAFIK (#137, february 2006, UK): What s hanging on your walls?
Res (vol.8, #6, nov-december 2005, USA): UNEXPECTED FEELING & SONS
Jalouse (may 2005, France): Elisabeth Arkhipoff
Xfuns (#12, summer 2004, Taiwan): Elisabeth Arkhipoff
Res (vol.7, #3, may 2004, USA): First Person: Elisabeth Arkhipoff
Ryuko Tsushin (vol.64, may 2004, Japan): My legendary boyfriend MENLO PARK RECORDINGS Design Net (#491, january 2004, Korea): Elisabeth Arkhipoff
Anthem (october 2004, USA): Elisabeth Arkhipoff
Pictured (#1, april 2003, UK): Vogue Nippon fashion story
Milk (#86, april 2003, Hong Kong): Elisabeth Arkhipoff at Rocket Gallery
Atmosphere (#1, Spring 2003, Japan): Elisabeth Arkhipoff & Laurent Fetis
Dazed & Confused (#11, february 2003, UK/Japan): Elisabeth Arkhipoff
Ryuko Tsushin (#476, february 2003, Japan): Elisabeth Arkhipoff
+81 (#16, summer 2002, Japan): Elisabeth Arkhipoff
Studio Voice (#319, july 2002, Japan): NO SODA : NO FUN
Creative Review (#3, june 2002, UK): Futura 2000 stars in a promo directed by artist Elisabeth Arkhipoff
LAB (#3, april 2002, UK): Elisabeth Arkhipoff
ZOO (#13, summer 2002, UK): Breakaway promo for DJ Mehdi by Elisabeth Arkhipoff and Laurent Fetis
Frieze (#64, january-february 2002,UK): VI-IntentionalCommunities
ZOO (#11,december 2001 UK): Elisabeth Arkhipoff
Dazed & Confused (#82, october. 2001, UK): In Print : Source
Self Service (#15, Fall/Winter 2001, France): onehundredthings
IDEA (#288, sept. 2001, Japan): Diverse aspects of visual arts in France
Suddeutsche Zeitung (#19-20 august 2000, Germany) : Der Angrif der Gegenwart auf die ubrige Zeit
EXHIBITIONS
2010
Me in You (Solo show),
Galerie 12 Mail, Paris, France.
2008
Ces Jeunes Gens Modernes,
Galerie du Jour/Agnes b., Paris, France.
2006
La Force de l’Art,
Grand Palais, Paris, France.
Curated by Catherine de Smet.
2004
Sugar Hiccup,
Taka Ishii Gallery, Tokyo, Japan.
2003
Malerei II Ausstellung Nulldrei,
Galerie Christian Nagel, Koln, Germany. There is a way to do it wrong (Solo Show)
Rocket Gallery, Tokyo, Japan.
2002
VI-Intentional Communities,
Vilnius Contemporary Art Center, Lithuania.
1978, 1983? (Solo Show)
Mercer Union-CAC, Toronto, Canada.
2001
VI-Intentional Communities,
Rooseum-Center for Contemporary Art, Malmø, Sweden.
Curated by Charles Esche and Asa Nacking.
2000
Voilà-Le Monde dans la Tête,
Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, France.
Curated by Suzanne Page and Hans Ulrich Obrist.
Interarchive,
Kunstraum der Universitat Luneburg, Germany.
Curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Hans Peter Feldmann.
LECTURES, WORKSHOPS & FESTIVALS
2007
SweetTalk NYC,
Center for Architecture, New York, USA.
2006 TOKION Creativity Now , Cooper Union, New York, USA.
with Elisabeth Arkhipoff, Jeremy Blake, Laurent Fétis,
Julie Verhoeven. Moderated by Penny Martin.
2005
UOVO PINK, Art/Basel/Miami Beach, USA.
2004
We Are Us, workshop with Laurent Fétis. FABRICA , Villorba, Italy.
2003
SHOWstudio Festival, London Fashion Week, UK.
2002
Beursschouwburg/conférence with Laurent Fétis. Belgium.
Mirrorball-Edinburgh Film FestivalI, UK.
