AppART
A space where ideas, people, and creativity come together.
Where minds meet, ideas move.
Come together. Create something unexpected.
The AppART is a multifunctional space for work, creation, reflection, connection, and sharing — set in a welcoming, friendly environment in a great neighborhood.The concept behind the AppART is to bring together professionals from different sectors, artists from different disciplines, and curious, passionate people who want to walk part of the road together — to move a few mountains, hills, or mounds of earth. The AppART hosts, in turn, exhibitions, working groups, association meetings, and professionals looking for a coworking space.Spacious and bright, The AppART is located in the Picpus neighborhood in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. From time to time, the AppART transforms into a pop-up art gallery, giving many talented artists the opportunity to exhibit their work.
Words That Resonate
“I have stretched ropes from bell tower to bell tower; garlands from window to window; chains of gold from star to star, and I dance.”
“Here, there, a little everywhere: a passage between the visible and the invisible. A window left slightly open, a door ajar through which a little light comes in. Without the invisible, we would see nothing; we would be in complete darkness.”
“When we laugh, we empty ourselves, and the wind passes through us, moving doors and windows, bringing the night of the wind within us.”
Arkhae Mundi
Artist’s name: Nicolas Hamm
Artist’s bio:
The castaway, the trunk, the maps, the Architects, the Amazons…
“Arkhae Mundi”, with its societies, flora, and incredible beings, unfolds through the creativity and talent of Nicolas Hamm.
Whichever thread we choose to follow, Nicolas Hamm emerges from behind a crate or from beneath a pile of unique books, revealing a notebook filled with sketches, texts, and images that explain and illustrate another corner of this endless imaginary world he has created.
We were delighted to welcome Nicolas Hamm and his Ark to L’AppART!
Exhibition name:
Arkhae Mundi
copyright of the pictures: Sebastien Maccari
Paris vue à travers les arbres
Artist’s name: Laurent Melin
Artist’s bio/presentation text:
Laurent Melin captures, in graphite, ink, and pastel, what he experiences as a tourist in his own city. Whether in his line drawings or paintings, light and expression are at the heart of his work.
After settling near Batignolles, he discovered the green lung of Paris formed by the abundant vegetation along the former railway line of Boulevard Pereire, abandoned for more than twenty years.
For this series, Paris Seen Through the Trees, the artist focuses primarily on what unfolds above the railway tracks rather than below them. Like a wanderer who has lost his way, he walks with his head tilted upward, captivated by the power of the trees, which frame magnificent Haussmannian buildings. Here and there, among the lush foliage, one can sometimes glimpse silhouettes sheltered from view and protected from prying eyes.
Exhibition name:
Paris vue à travers les arbres
REQUIEM FOR A CENTENARY — 1916
The Broken Faces — In Memory of the Tremblers and the Undead
Artist’s name: Nicolas Hamm
Artist Biography
Nicolas Hamm was born on April 16, 1966, in Metz. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Nancy and works as an artist, painter, decorator, and writer.
Alongside his artistic practice, he has pursued historical research and decorative projects, working for ten years with the Musée de l’Homme, as well as with theatres, cinemas, and private venues. He also develops his literary work through the creation of unique books and one-of-a-kind pieces.
Exhibition name:
REQUIEM FOR A CENTENARY — 1916
About the Exhibition
In 1992, while working as a decorator for the underground Citadel of Verdun, Nicolas Hamm discovered the French National Archives and consulted them while preparing a reconstruction of the trenches of Verdun.
Among the stereoscopic photographs he examined, two images particularly struck him: one showing a wounded but living man in a trench, and another depicting a man sitting at the edge of a table, his face devastated, looking directly at the photographer with his one intact, alert eye while waiting to receive treatment.
These images never left him.
They inspired a series of paintings on glass and the creation of a collection depicting the “gueules cassées” — the broken faces of soldiers wounded during the First World War — on glass and canvas.
As 2016 approached, the idea of organizing an exhibition to commemorate these men took shape.
The exhibition explored this history through a variety of disciplines that were themselves developing during this period. At a time when reconstructive surgery was still in its infancy, artists and sculptors from the École des Beaux-Arts worked alongside doctors, creating moulds and sculpting facial prostheses that allowed wounded soldiers to conceal parts of their damaged faces.
Psychology and psychiatry, military history, national solidarity — expressed through funds raised through the Dette Nationale, which would later become the National Lottery — as well as reconstructive and eventually cosmetic surgery, all have roots in the terrible experiences of the First World War.
Participating Artists
Nicolas Hamm, Nathalie Berard, Joana Boulay, Michel Davril, Nicolas Debon, Alex Domenger, Sébastien Maccari, Stephen Maccari, Alain Neveu, Gérard Thon, Franck Volo