Early 2010 ...
to the left,
the work Resident by Jérémy Gobé, 2012 workshop desk, upholsterer's strap and nails, 110 * 80 * 100 cm In addition to this, you need to know more about it.
to the right,
Corail Restauration, 2013 Construction anchors, coral skeleton and salvage furniture. View of the "Meltem" exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo. Chasse-Spleen Collection.
Following his idea of showcasing know-how doomed to disappear, the artist Jérémy Gobé creates works from materials offered by factory workers about to be closed ...
From childhood to Fine Arts, he grew up in the North and Grand-Est regions, regions from which we know how much the textile industry has suffered.
At the same time, he often hunted down at Emmaüs for objects from the past that he could showcase. He discovers corals there; Immediately fascinated by these sculptures of nature, he decides to extend them with different materials such as ceramics, construction dowels, knitting etc., and studies these complex structures in an almost scientific way.
According to his mind, a link is created between the disappearance of the coral tissue, a vital element of the natural cycle of our planet and the impoverishment of the industrial textile fabric in France, very often a support for sustaining local life. By continuing his research, he identifies three major factors in the degradation of coral reefs:
1. Global warming, largely due to greenhouse gases;
2. Fishing in large quantities, dynamite and / or cyanide;
3. Plastics which, when degrading, release toxic particles;
All of this is accentuated by the lack of precise information and in-depth education on the nature and severity of this degradation and its consequences on the planet.
End of summer 2017 ...
Jérémy Gobé is invited by the Lyon association HS-Projets to participate in the Clermont-Ferrand 2018 edition of the International Festival of Extraordinary Textiles. There, he chose to draw inspiration from traditional know-how from the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region: the point of spirit, a traditional pattern of bobbin lace from Puy-en-Velay. This motif, created more than 400 years ago, bears a striking resemblance to the design of one of the coral skeletons he uses in his experiments ...
What if this lace could help save corals?
An idea came to him: to think about a lace support to stimulate coral regeneration. Scientists have long sought a medium (or substrate) to capture more larvae, which they believe must have three characteristics: roughness, flexibility and transparency. Cotton lace meets these criteria; it is also bio-based, biodegradable and biomimetic. Jérémy Gobé very quickly wanted to imagine what could be an improved lace, inspired by the point of spirit, in integrating new technologies and offering other locally biobased fibers.
Early 2018 ...
Jérémy Gobé is developing a Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) program combining art, science, industry and education for a project he calls Corail Artefact.
This project includes the lace support, but also:
• Ecological concrete structures to recreate destroyed reefs. The existing artificial reefs are made largely with cellular concrete (not ecological). It is a mixture of water, cement and sand. The sand often comes from the bottom of the sea or from the litters, which favors the rise of the waters. In addition, cement production is the one that emits the most C02 in the world. By replacing the aforementioned sand and cement with materials that are both bio-based but also renewable, it is possible to create a purely ecological concrete.
• Aquariology tools to prevent the corals from being in the presence of toxic elements (plastics, glues, etc.) during the experiment (in the laboratory and in situ).
• Objects with an evocative design, useful, ecological and highlighting alternative materials to plastic, intended to demonstrate that it is possible to change our habits.
• A set of content and awareness-raising events for schools and the general public.
In May 2018, the first tests of the lace support in the laboratory were carried out.
Early 2019 ...
Early 2020 ...
Jérémy Gobé joins forces with Claire Durand-Ruel; they structure the project together and form a first team.
In May 2019, Jérémy Gobé made for the first time sculptures / structures with the brain coral motif of Neptune in ecological concrete. This test shows that these structures are conducive to the attachment, perennial fixation and reproduction of cnidarians (a family comprising corals, anemones, jellyfish, etc.), without releasing any toxic substance.
At the same time, the first tests of the lace support were completed.
In order to continue the development of Corail Artefact actions, the partners and service providers are renewed and the project is structured as follows:
● Corail Artefact Endowment Fund
Awareness-raising actions among schools and the general public (Exhibitions, educational kits, creative workshops, etc.) on the basis of concrete work / results and support for "research" activities of the two structures below:
▶ SAS Corail Artefact Art & Design
Development and marketing of art and design solutions (works, exhibitions, prototypes, etc.).
▶ SAS Corail Artefact Science and Technology
Development and marketing of solutions for the regeneration of coral reefs (lace support, ecological concrete structure, aquariology tools, etc.).