The artist Natsuko Uchino develops her practice around material transformation processes and confronts geo-materials and craftsmanship. She joined the Fondation in September to create glass and ceramic pieces for her project “Contained Contents,” which will result in a solo exhibition in early 2024 at the Château de Rochechouart.

Furthermore, Natsuko teaches at the TALM – Le Mans School of Fine Arts and Design, where she initiated the MAGMA master’s program. It is within this context that her students, as well as those entering the EXTRA master’s program in Angers will come to the Fondation for a “Bio-region” workshop. They will explore the connections between artistic practices and the contextual elements of the Charentes region, a reflection whose framework can serve both to establish the milestones for their master’s work and as an exploratory indication for the Loire and Sarthe regions. Participants will have the opportunity to deeply examine the “Almanac” exhibition produced by the Foundation. This exhibition presents the results of an investigation conducted by a team of designers among local actors, aiming to identify the resources and issues of the territory and offering an insight into the material and immaterial riches of the region, also highlighting the methodology used by the designers for this research.

In the context of this workshop, the “Almanac” exhibition will serve as a conceptual foundation and guide participants towards a comprehensive understanding of the resources, challenges, and the historical aspects of the links between practice and the field. By immersing themselves in the exhibition and experimenting with reclaimed materials, participants will animate the creation of a dynamic map capable of exploring the sensitive and narrative dimensions of the territory. The workshop remains open to meetings, visits, exploration, and leisurely wandering. It is, first and foremost, a situational experience to assess the ecological, material, and societal challenges inherent in a production practice. In this sense, this workshop has the unique intersite property of bringing together the EXTRA and MAGMA master’s programs to mutualize the reflection on production issues bridging art, craftsmanship, and industry.

Natsuko Uchino

Natsuko Uchino is born in 1983. As an artist and Professor of Art Education specializing in ceramics at the TALM – Le Mans School of Fine Arts and Design, her practice bridges the realms of art and ecology. Her installations and performances incorporate various materials, including sculpture, imagery, functional objects, and living elements. She graduated from Cooper Union in New York in 2007 and completed the research program at CCA Kitakyushu in Japan in 2012. She is a founding member of the Art and Agriculture organization in New York. Her work has been exhibited at venues such as Elaine –MGK Basel, Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, Kunsthal Charlottenborg Copenhagen, Le Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature Paris, Le Jardin des Plantes Paris (FIAC-Hors les Murs), Les Laboratoires d’Aubervilliers, and La Friche Belle de Mai, Marseille.