Jérôme Sans


Jérôme Sans is a director of contemporary arts institutions, critic and curator, living in Paris and Beijing.

Biography

Jérôme Sans is an art curator who has curated numerous exhibitions around the world. He was the former director of the ground breaking Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing and co-founder of the acclaimed Palais de Tokyo in Paris. Between 2006 and 2013, Sans was also the Global Cultural Curator for Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts; and, in 2012, he created the French cultural magazine L'Officiel Art, as creative director and editor-in-chief.
Sans is currently artistic director of Rives de Saône-River Movie, and has been named recently as co-artistic director to the Grand Paris Express project - France's largest urban redefinition through culture initiative since Haussmann. He is also the co-founder of Perfect Crossovers ltd, a Beijing-based cultural consultancy group. Sans remains on the advisory board for UCCA, as well as a member of the committee of Sam Art Projects foundation in Paris.
Jérôme Sans began his career in the early 1980s as one of the first independent curators in Europe, aiming to rethink the question of the contemporary art exhibition through an engagement with young emerging artists. Sans devised "pop up" exhibitions, such as: "Fictions", that took place in Mirabel International Airport in 1989; "Escales "in the rural and coastal landscape from the Côtes-d’Armor in 1991; "On the Road - between Besançon and Belfort" in 1994; "Infrasound" in 1995 in Munich, taking place in several public spaces delivering sound to diffuse contemporary art sound pieces. In 1993, with "Before The Sound of The Beep", he invited artists to create sound works diffused through the dial tones of contemporary art galleries in the Marais. "Shopping" was first presented in Bordeaux where it was produced by the CAPC, and then relocated to New York, to be produced by Jeffrey Deitch Gallery. There, it involved various commercial locations in SoHo, a district that at the time was significantly undergoing cultural change. "Street Life" in 1999 invested 7 "shotgun houses", developed in collaboration with Project Row Houses in Houston. "Wide Screen" exhibition in 2000 presented video works within the streets of seven cities in Japan.
Sans received his diploma from the ICART in Paris. In 1982 he was guest teacher at the College of Art and Design at Central Saint Martins between 1998 and 1999 and has furthermore published many books in collaboration with notable artists, photographers and fashion designers. Since 1983, he has written articles for more than 30 international art magazines. He also has contributed to numerous exhibition catalogues for museum and art centers. In 1998, he published a book of interviews with the artist Daniel Buren. In 2002, he was the author of "Araki on Araki" series of photographic works by Nobuyoshi Araki. He has also produced a book of photographs by Hedi Slimane.

Exhibitions (selection)

Jérôme Sans has curated over 300 solo and group shows worldwide, in art institutions and outside, among others:
Between 1994 and 1996, Jérôme Sans is adjunct curator of the Magasin 3 in Stockholm, Sweden, and from 1996 to 2003, of the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design in Milwaukee, United States.
In 1997 and 1998, he is the art director and curator of two editions of the Printemps de Cahors event : "One Minute Scenario", and "La sphère de l'intime".
He co-curated with Nicolas Bourriaud, the Contemporary Art Biennial at the Musée d'art contemporain de Lyon, titled « L’expérience de la durée » ; and the Parisian Nuit Blanche in 2006.

Institute of Visual Arts (INOVA), Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1996–2003)

From 1996 to 2003, Jérôme Sans was adjunct curator of the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design in Milwaukee, where he presented a serie of solo exhibitions of artist of the new generation of artists, shown for the first time in an institution in the US: Maurizio Cattelan, Pierre Huyghe, Erwin Wurm, Kendell Geers, Philippe Parreno, Barthélémy Toguo, Steve McQueen, Kimsooja, Joachim Koester, Annelis Strba, Lars Nilsson, Annika von Hauswolff...

Palais de Tokyo, Paris (1999–2006)

Jérôme Sans was from 1999 until 2006 the co-founder and director of the acclaimed Palais de Tokyo in Paris with Nicolas Bourriaud. This place became one of the most important art institution in Europe, contributing to the international large audience for a lot of French artists.
For the Palais de Tokyo, he has worked with the architects Anne Lacaton & Jean-Philippe Vassal to make the reopening of the place, and with the architect Stéphane Maupin to make the restaurant. Jérôme Sans has imagined new economical strategies for the managing of artistic projects, involving brands for the first time in such art institutions.
In 6 years, the Palais de Tokyo has welcomed more than 1 million of visitors. It was the pioneer of a movement of reconciliation between the City of Light and contemporary art. It has been emulated as a model and for its programming well beyond the frontiers of France, both among specialists, art-lovers, and the wide public.
During this period, the Palais de Tokyo presented more than 80 solo exhibitions, 8 group exhibitions, and more than one hundred events, concerts and performances.

Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead (2006–2008)

Jérôme Sans was from 2006 until 2008 the artistic director of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, one of the most important art place in Europe, which he contributed to re-establish Baltic as the most creative place in UK. In a former flourmill, the Baltic is an international centre for contemporary art, it presents a constantly changing programme of exhibitions and events. Jérôme Sans has curated numerous solo shows there, as Kendell Geers, Subodh Gupta, Brian Eno, Kader Attia and Wang Du…

Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing (2008–2012)

From 2008 to 2012, Jérôme Sans was the former director of the ground breaking Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, created by the Belgian collector Guy Ullens as the first private art center in China. Jérôme Sans has established a new economy for the art center to make the UCCA a place of reference for Chinese and international contemporary art. Jérôme Sans has collaborated with the architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte to redefine the structure of the center and adapt its Bauhaus style to flexible exhibition spaces. Jérôme Sans has been serving as an ambassador for Chinese contemporary art. He was devoted in the building of local and international profile of the UCCA with a world-class program of exhibitions, actively promoting Chinese contemporary art globally by fostering a vigorous dialogue between local and international artists and audience. He helped to bring a new economy to the art center, working with local and international partners.
He is now a member of the Advisory Board of the UCCA.

Le Méridien (2006–2013)

From 2006 to 2013, Jérôme Sans was Global Cultural Curator for Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, a première in the hospitality industry.
Gathering a community of interdisciplinary creators/ambassadors, Jérôme Sans reinvented the vocabulary of the company, around the three words "Chic, Culture and Discovery", placing it as a contemporary and unique hospitality group, engaged in today's culture.
Jérôme Sans appropriated all areas of life and the most everyday gestures, turning them into "moments" dedicated to a set of sensual and creative experiences ; from the olfactory identity of the brand, to its original soundtrack, through the breakfast signature and a creative wine menu or the in situ creation of works of art in the hotels. Jérôme Sans has also introduced the establishment of magnetic collector cards made by artists, not only giving access to the room but also to the opportunity to discover for free, the most creative cultural institutions of the cities in which the Méridien's hotels are based worldwide.

"River Movie", Rives de Saône (2010–2014)

Since 2010, Jérôme Sans has been appointed as artistic Director of the 50 km reorganization of the Lyon docks around the Saône river, one of the most important program of permanent art in public space in Europe.
More than 10 international artists have created site-specific works that will be installed permanently on the docks, contributing to the artistic highlight of the City of Lyon. The program has been created through a unique dialogue between architects, landscape architects and artists. The first phase of the program was completed in September 2013 as more than 17 km featuring a dozen works was implemented in situ. The next phases will be executed in 2014 and 2015.

Grand Paris Express (2015-2017)

Jérôme Sans has recently been appointed as the artistic co-director of the Grand Paris Express together with José-Manuel Gonçalvès by the Société du Grand Paris. This future metropolitan "super underground" will extend over a length of 200 km and will include 68 stations conceived by different architects and designers. Within an integrated approach to the localities/territories and with the aim to accompany the transformation phase, the artistic and cultural direction will contribute together with the creators, designers, architects and the engineers already engaged for the construction of the new underground to the creation of a metropolitan artistic heritage.

Polygone Riviera, Cagnes-sur-Mer, (since 2015)

From 2015, Jérôme Sans has been named artistic director of the art program of Polygone Riviera, designed by the Unibail-Rodamco group and Socri. Polygone Riviera is the first open-air shopping centre in France and is also a cultural venue that focuses strongly on contemporary art, with eleven works by world-renowned artists placed on display at the centre.
During the summer 2016, a number of works by Joan Miró were displayed at the heart of the shopping centre, thanks to a partnership with the Maeght Foundation located nearby.

Future contemporary art venue led by Emerige, Ile Seguin, Boulogne, Paris

Led by the Emerige group, a new artistic and cultural project consisting of a place for contemporary art, a multiplex cinema and a hotel focusing on contemporary creation is currently being developed for the upstream tip of Seguin Island, which will benefit from one of the largest cultural concentrations in Europe. Jérôme Sans is the artistic director of the future contemporary art venue, designed by Catalan architects RCR Arquitectes, winners of the prestigious Pritzker Prize 2017, which is due to open in 2024. The venue, which will play a major role in this new cultural, social and economic dynamic, will embody within this exceptional island site the regeneration of the place of art as an inspiring space open to the world, in the image of today's creativity.

L'Officiel Art (2012–2013)

In 2012–13, Jérôme Sans was creative director and editor in chief of the quarterly art magazine « L’Officiel Art », which is published by the Editions Jalou.
By joining Les Editions Jalou to direct l’Officiel Art, he has bet on a new generation of art magazines in which art and artists narrate and encounter an interwoven world with fashion, style and all contemporary creative expressions.. L’Officiel Art aims to place artists at the centre of this cross-cultural debate.
Jérôme Sans managed the first eight issues of the magazine. Eight artists have been invited to create a special cover : Daniel Buren, Farhad Moshiri, Bertrand Lavier, Yan Pei-Ming, Sterling Ruby, Marina Abramovic & Terence Koh, Loris Gréaud et Youssef Nabil.

Books and publishing

Jérôme Sans has contributed to various art publications. Such as : Purple, Flash Art, Artforum, Artpress, UOVO, Tema Celeste, as well as participated in the development of numerous exhibition catalogs for museums or private institutions.
In 1998, Jérôme Sans published the reference book Au Sujet de about Daniel Buren followed by two others on the artists Jonas Mekas and Chen Zhen. He also authored Araki by Araki, published by Taschen in 2001, In The Arab World Now published by Galerie Enrico Navarra in 2008 and Intermission 1, published by Pitti Immagine in 2002.
In 2004 he joined forces with Bertil Scali, publisher and reporter, to launch Scali Editions, a publishing house dedicated to the publication of works around underground and current cultures on neglected themes and subjects on the fringe or controversial such as the history of Gay Pride by Olivero Toscani or the Goth culture by Patrick Eudeline. Approximately 200 books were published between 2004 and 2008 with authors including Richard Bronson, Jonas Mekas, Virginie Despentes, Nina Roberts, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Joey Starr, Bruce Benderson, Marie Darrieusec, and Brian Epstein.
More recently, Jérôme Sans completed a series of pocket books that incorporate interviews with artists and architects, published by BlueKingfisher Lmt. He is currently working on a new volume about the American artist John Giorno.
He is also the author of Araki on Araki, a collection of photos by the artist Nobuyoshi Araki, published by Taschen in 2000; In The Arab World Now, published by the Enrico Navarra Gallery in 2008; and a collection of photos by Hedi Slimane, Intermission 1, published by Pitti Immagine in 2002. In 2015, he also publishes, with Jean-Marc Decrop, the book China: The New Generation, on the emerging Chinese art scene. In 2016, he publishes with Marla Hamburg Kennedy Lipstick Flavor: A contemporary art story with photography.
In 2018, together with Laura Salas Redondo, he publishes the book Cuba Talks: Interviews with 28 artists, revealing the dynamism of the contemporary Cuban art scene. In 2019, with Racing the Galaxy, catalogue of the eponymous exhibition in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, which he curated with Dina Baitassova, he highlights the major and emerging figures of a emergent Kazakh art scene and its free spirit of nomadism, in dialogue with artists from other parts of the world.

Films

Jérôme Sans is the co-author with Pierre Paul Puljitz of the documentary "Jonas Mekas, I Am Not A Filmmaker", which has been screened at numerous films festivals. He is preparing another film about the artist Kenneth Anger. He is currently preparing a new documentary dedicated to the American author, movie director & artist Kenneth Anger.
He collaborated with Kiki Allgeier on the making of portrayals of the members of the creative community LM100 for Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts ; and directed the movie « Breaking the silence » about AIDS in Mozambique, a special command from the UNICEF.
For the website of Whitewall Magazine in 2012, Jérôme Sans made two video portraits of 3mn on the architect Ma Yansong and the painter Yu Hong.
He has also been the artistic director of a portrait of MadeIn Company in his studio about a work made for the Biennale de Lyon 2013. This film, directed by Yang Bo and produced for Zilli, is available on the company website and was screened alongside the work of the artist.

Music

Jérôme Sans is also the founder of the French electro pop band Liquid Architecture, created with Audrey Mascina. Their first album "Revolution is Over" was produced by the French record label Naïve in 2006. In 2009, as the first French band to be signed on the Chinese label, Modern Sky, they released their second album "I Love to Love."