Art

Makiko Furuichi, born and raised in Japan, has been living in France for over 10 years. The artist is renowned for her colourful creations, inspired by the animal and plant worlds – elements that are ever-present in Japanese culture. Her work is characterised by a prolific output of watercolours on paper, textiles, murals and sculptures. Her compositions, both joyful and enigmatic, exude a unique lightness and freshness.

Upon discovering the Chamonix valley, Furuichi was captivated by the richness of the local flora and fauna. She is fascinated by the creatures that inhabit the forests and mountains, and by the distinct ecosystems found at each altitude within the massif. This inspired her to create a layered work, an installation for the Hôtel Lyret comprising a mural and six textile panels. A captivating ensemble that invites the viewer to lose themselves in its composition and explore its depth.

Since her teenage years, Laetitia de Chocqueuse has been collecting images from a variety of sources: family albums, newspaper clippings, the internet and old books. What attracts her above all is the element of mystery they hold, what they retain and suggest, guiding us towards a realm of possibilities. Through her multifaceted body of work, the artist combines fragments and symbols to create new stories. Her work, oscillating between figuration and abstraction, sometimes evokes a surrealist aesthetic, and is distinguished by the meticulousness of her process, a striking contrast to the immediacy of the images she uses.

In her exploration of the Hôtel Lyret, an emblem of a century of tourism in Chamonix, Laetitia de Chocqueuse reflects on the function and architecture of the site, which comprises 37 rooms. This number, a regular centred hexagon, also evokes the 37 marbles of the game of Solitaire, a game of introspection, symbolising the isolation inherent to the room. She thus interprets these spaces as bubbles, offering their occupants a moment apart.

Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Bianca Argimon, an artist who explores the paradoxes of the 1990s, a decade marked by profound upheavals and transitions. Through her work, she blends history, socio-political satire and powerful symbols to examine our times.

In her new project in Chamonix, Argimon draws inspiration from the town, its tourist clichés and its local history. She is particularly inspired by Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps in 218 BC, when elephants traversed the Alpine peaks to reach Italy. This captivating project brings together the past and the present, with a touch of irony and striking depth. Discover this unique and surprising vision of our world, where each work invites you to reflect on our history and our future.

Bea Bonafini spent part of her childhood in the Northern Italian Alps, in the Monte Baldo region. From dawn to dusk, she would often gaze at the landscape, which changed its appearance throughout the day. The oral tradition of the elders lives on: this mountain range offers a glimpse of the profiles of sleeping giants, whose silhouettes emerge in the early hours of the morning or evening as the sun fades behind the peaks.

Bea Bonafini’s work lies on the boundary between figuration and abstraction. Through her works, the artist draws on a repertoire of forms derived from the organic world and the female body. Often described as hybrid, her works have a sensual quality, oscillating between strength and vulnerability. Her work takes many forms, with textiles playing a prominent role: the carnal, delicate and feminine touch.

The artist Anna Tomaszewski adopts an approach reminiscent of that of an archaeologist. She seeks out traces of the past, whether recent or distant, and is captivated by materials ranging from minerals to industrial waste. Her work explores our relationship with nature and time. Her piece *Nueva Sangre* (‘new blood’ in English) is a sculpture made of iron and glass. By salvaging discarded objects or materials and assembling them, Anna Tomaszewski gives them a new function: that of a work of art. Her approach demonstrates, first and foremost, the need to reclaim and ‘recycle’ items destined for the bin, but also the need to look at things differently. Nueva Sangre signifies a renewal. The sculpture depicts a plant form, a long stem from which a bud is about to bloom. Industrial waste gives birth to a flower.

Sandra Liccioni, a ‘cosmic painter’, has lived in Chamonix since the 1990s. Influenced by Western culture and Aboriginal motifs, her colourful pointillist works depict landscapes between sky and earth, imbued with powerful symbols and cosmic imagery.

Deeply connected to the mountains, which she describes as a secret and inspiring space, she finds in nature, the sky and the vastness an inexhaustible source of creativity.

Heavily influenced by electronic music, she composes her works to the rhythm of the sounds and elements around her. Markers, pencils and acrylics blend together to create spellbinding patterns, transporting the viewer to an interstellar world where the Chamonix valley merges with the infinity of the stars.