Solitaires

The show’s title bears reference to the famous game of the same name and defines the modus operandi for bringing together two rather distinct yet similar artistic practices. Sophie Yerly’s work is based on an archaeology of space, reappropriating gestures, procedures, and techniques. Her approach is intuitive and well reflected. Her process often starts with an emotion, to which she responds with an idea, that will then be confronted with a specific space. Within the context of the exhibition at EAC Les Halles, Sophie Yerly acts directly on the configura-tion of the space by adding ten suspended inflatable replicas to four existing pillars. Through the act of copying and multiplying, the intervention produces a deepened awareness of the existing pillars, the other works on view, and the structure of the exhibition space itself. The inflatable pil-lars seem like pawns on an invisible playing field. Almost in the manner of a mise en abîme, the placement of the pillars becomes a space of negotiation, keeping an eye on the larger context, but at the same time allowing small disruptions. In close dialogue with the suspended plastic objects, she presents a series of crucifix legs, an anchoring form charged with symbolism, as an opposing force. Nico Müller‘s work focuses on societal modes of operation. He distills drifts and aberrations to exploit them in a subtle and poetic way. The works presented at EAC Les Halles take a critical stance towards the mechanisms of communication and social conditioning that shape contem-porary human beings. A series of epoxy-soaked paper lanterns with anthropomorph silhouettes hangs from the ceiling grid. The sculptures share a common origin but are deformed and harde-ned in different ways. What renders them unique are the patterns and colors of their connecting cables and the traces of their deliberately handcrafted production process. Like empty shells, their bodies are illuminated by full spectrum lightbulbs, whispering the promise of compensation for the lack of sunlight during the dim winter months. In dialogue with the lanterns, the two works Emotional Storm and Doing What Matters in Times of Stress both bear reference to the same WHO manual that teaches how to deal with stress by modifying through self-control and adap-tation to a given set of circumstances. While the Emotional Storm is a form of movement which threatens beings in such situations to lose control, five slogans engraved into cardboard suggest a way out of the situation of unease. What at first seems like a call for improvement turns out to be a conditioning set of self-modifications for everyone participating and competing in today’s labor market(s). The works on display invite the viewer to reflect on how to position ourselves towards the visible and invisible forces that shape our bodies and minds. Sophie Yerly (1980) lives in Basel where she obtained her Master‘s degree in visual arts after completing a Bachelor‘s degree in architecture at the EPFL. She has been exhibiting her work since 2015 and is the founder of the online platform we find wildness. Nico Müller (1983) lives in Basel. He studied philosophy and history at the University of Bern be-fore completing a Bachelor‘s degree in visual arts at HKB in Bern and a Master‘s degree at HEAD in Geneva.