Expert Esthétique, a film by Pauline Bastard

September 25–27, 2026 – 4:00 PM

As part of the C’est pas du luxe ! Festival

Synopsis

In a textile sorting warehouse, amidst a steady stream of clothing, employees begin setting aside discarded materials: a sewing workshop takes shape. Initial upcycled items quickly give way to complex creations. (High) fashion gradually takes root within the hangar.

Origin of the project

As part of the C’est pas du luxe ! Festival, the Collection Lambert invites you to a screening of the film Expert Esthétique, presented in the presence of artist Pauline Bastard. The film stems from the Lucie Couture project—an artistic and human initiative born out of a textile design workshop at the Atelier Lucie Coutaz in Échirolles (a facility affiliated with Emmaüs Grenoble). By placing craftsmanship and social integration at the heart of the creative process, this approach explores notions of artisan skill, upcycling, and collective expression.

The screening will be followed by a talk and Q&A with director Pauline Bastard.

Pauline Bastard

Pauline Bastard is a French visual artist born in 1982, who graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris in 2007. Her work revolves around the creation of fictions, collective narratives, and the manipulation of matter and social bonds. Through videos, installations, and sculptures, she explores the construction of our representations of reality, the concept of identity, and our relationship with alterity.

Her approach relies on rigorous protocols that frequently involve third parties—lawyers, scientists, or everyday citizens—to bring to life projects at the intersection of documentary and conceptual art. This methodology earned her the Prix Meurice for Contemporary Art in 2014 for the project Alex, a collaborative work that aimed to shape the life of a fictional individual using donated fragments of real existences. Her work has been shown at major cultural institutions including the Centre Pompidou, Palais de Tokyo, Fondation Ricard, and MAC VAL. She currently pursues her practice through artist residencies, exhibitions, and teaching at higher art schools.

Practical informations

Collection Lambert Auditorium
Admission: Free – Subject to availability – Reservation recommended

The film is part of the Images Publiques project, produced as part of an artistic residency in the Grenoble metropolitan area, supported by the Isère department and in collaboration with the Cinémathèque de Grenoble. The Lucie Couture project received support from the Drac Rhône-Alpes Vacances Culturelles program.