Artémed is an association founded in France in 2001 to develop artistic, creative and cultural exchange in the visual arts and beyond, particularly with the countries of the Mediterranean.

Fabiola Amaudric du Chaffaut2025

Artist’s statement

My work with colour and form spans painting, drawing, sculpture and installation, in search of hybrid forms that blend paradigms.
I play with patterns, symbols and beliefs through a protean, many-hued visual universe rooted in a colourful, abstract landscape – sometimes threatening – where you win or you lose.
During this residency at Zico House in Beirut, I immersed myself in the city, its complexity and richness, and gleaned patterns and ornamental forms there with diverse origins and histories.
This end-of-residency exhibition sets the research carried out in the area in resonance with my current work.

Fabiola Amaudric du Chaffaut

Questions

What did you present at Zico House?

At Zico House I presented the results of three weeks of artistic research in Lebanon. Immersing myself in Beirut, I gleaned patterns, ornamental architectural forms, colours and materials. I worked with painting and stained glass, using in particular local coloured glass, whose widespread use in Ottoman-style buildings was a real source of inspiration.

What did you enjoy in Lebanon?

I was captivated by the beauty of Lebanon’s landscapes and crafts. I was able to confirm my taste for the local cuisine. Above all, I greatly appreciated the hospitality and the spirit of mutual help. I was warmly welcomed, and I hope to come back to Lebanon to continue my stained-glass work and meet local glass artisans and artists.

What disappointed or surprised you?

I was surprised by Lebanon’s difficult economic conditions, especially the power cuts.

What do you think of Zico House?

I think Zico House is an important venue for the art scene. It promotes emerging art, and as a young artist it is a real opportunity to benefit from such a place for showing work and meeting people. Its cross-disciplinary character also adds to its importance: I met musicians, filmmakers, visual artists and writers there – it is very inspiring, and essential to creation.

Photos

Artémed sets out to develop its activities in the following ways:

  • Reflecting aspects of the art of these regions in today’s context
  • Fostering intercultural encounters
  • Bringing the work of artists from these countries to a wider public
  • Broadening the audience for the art of today

“Let me stress once again that there is no single Mediterranean culture – there are several within one Mediterranean. They are marked by traits that are at once alike and different, seldom united and never identical. Their similarities arise from the closeness of a shared sea and from the meeting, on its shores, of neighbouring nations and forms of expression. Their differences are shaped by origins and history, by beliefs and customs. Neither the similarities nor the differences are absolute or constant. Sometimes the former prevail, sometimes the latter. The rest is mythology.”

Predrag Matvejević (preface to La pensée méridienne by Franco Cassano)

“Where there is art, there is neither old age, nor loneliness, nor sickness, and even death is no more than half of itself.”

Anton Chekhov