Esprit Béton

NAÏVE CONCRETE

The world of artist Aude Ambroggi could be described as naive art. From her home in the Alpilles mountains, she creates sculptures in concrete and colorful ceramics, with quirky, offbeat forms. All of it imbued with a gentle air of innocence.

Born from a desire to value the gesture, rather than the ability to intellectualize works, naive art celebrates spontaneity and creative freedom. But also the ability to invent an artistic world. This definition perfectly describes the whimsical and colorful bestiary of sculptor Aude Ambroggi. The artist could have been content with a more traditional material for her works, but that would have been without taking into account her curiosity, which led her to experiment with concrete. "Hard as concrete, an imperishable material…," Aude Ambroggi has already explored the semantics of the word.

While men serve a function—that of implementing this concrete—the artist questions the very essence of materials and ennobles them. “For me at first, it was a strange material. I didn’t know it. I didn’t know how to work with it. I was frustrated, but very curious to tame it, to imbue it with poetry. It became an obsession for me. And ultimately, it suited my technique,” ​​the sculptor insists.

When Aude talks about concrete, her eyes light up. “At first glance, concrete can seem like the poor relation of the artistic dimension, whereas it’s magical when it absorbs water.” Well, she’ll skip over her struggles, the advice she sought from building professionals, her doubts, her questions… “We’ve become friends, it and I. I now take enormous pleasure in working with it. The magic has happened, and I’m making it my own for the time being.” "I hope to improve even further."

Her colorful world is populated by a whole menagerie of strange creatures. Plump, brightly colored elephants sticking out their tongues. Majestic birds, ready to chatter. Distorted faces that turn heads. Languid mermaids that beckon you to take a dip in the water… A veritable menagerie of "eccentrics." Her world is childlike, playful, and quirky, with touches of humor. "I wondered how to dress this material, how to color it… I trusted my emotions. I play with concrete, I adorn it with ceramics, I add pigments, or I leave it raw. It's a true exchange. I can do anything with it."

Muriel Carbonnet