Martine Neddam (Oran, 27 January 1953 [1] ) is a visual artist, research scientist and professor. She is a native of France and lives and works in Amsterdam. [2] [3] She teaches at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy and the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM) [2] [4]
Martine Neddam studied linguistics and literature in Lyon, France from 1975 to 1979 and stage design from 1983 to 1984 at the School of Architecture in Lyon, France. From 1988 to 1989 she studied at the Institut des Hautes Etudes at the Arts Plastiques in Paris. [4]
Neddam began her career as an artist in 1988, creating text objects (banners, plaques, shadows on the wall) that were exhibited in museums and galleries. [5] She also created large-scale public commissions in several European countries, including in the Netherlands, France and Great Britain.
Early works - Text objects and light sculptures
Neddam uses language in a triangular relationship between the author, communication, and reader as the starting point for her installations and projects. This relationship plays a crucial role in her artworks, from the early text-based drapery works such as 'Connard' or 'Arache-moi' to 'Walk on Me' and 'La Scala'. Her sculptures incorporate light, which creates subtle and almost immaterial effects. Neddam's sculptures are visually enhanced by the use of direct and personal language, adding depth and dimension to the artwork. The viewer's attention is drawn to the artwork through the use of direct language. The viewer's attention is drawn to the artwork through the use of direct language. [6]
In 1992, Neddam was commissioned to create a work titled 'Marche sur moi' (Walk on me) for the cupola of the Municipal Museum in Arnhem. [7] The installation features words on the floor and wall panels that engage in a dialogue with each other and the viewer.
The words are: Walk over me, step over me, stamp on me, crush me, dirty me, sully me, again, and again and again.
The wall text says in response: “Me too, me too …” [2]
From 1993 to 2013, ‚La Scala’, a work which commissioned by the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, was installed on the roof top of the De Meerse Theater. The work is a light object made of neon lights in the shape of a ladder that narrows as if in perspective. „The origin of this work lies in language'. La Scala is the title, after the name of the famous theater in Milan. It literally means 'The ladder‘.“ [6] The Italian term 'La Scala', which means ladder, also means scale in the sense of 'a proportion of a floor plan' in French. Each step on the ladder represents the perspective and emotion of the theater. [6]
Online Works and Virtual Characters
Neddam began creating virtual characters with independent artistic existences in 1996, never revealing the real author. One of her most well-known characters is Mouchette, a 13-year-old girl who shares online the fantasies arising from her dark imagination. [8] Neddam used early Web 2.0 features for this project, and Mouchette has since become a cult icon. Neddam has created various works exploring the character's identity and impact. Neddam created Mouchette after being inspired by Robert Bresson's film of the same name. [9] Mouchette.org presents virtual characters that investigate language and representation, with the viewer as a participant and responder.
In 2001, Neddam created David Still. [5] He offers his identity and the use of his email account to all passing websurfers. In 2006, she created XiaoQian, a Chinese artist who creates virtual persons. [5] These virtual characters function more as communication tools than as mere portraits. They engage in dialogue with the public, trigger their reactions, stimulate exchange between visitors, and archive these exchanges to recycle them into new works of art.
'My Desktop Life' is a project that was created in 2014. [9] It enables users to create a personal narrative by combining their own videos, images, text, and sounds. The project is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to a broad audience. The narrative is presented in a constantly evolving timeline as the user adds or edits content [10]
In recent years, Neddam has abandoned the anonymity associated with virtual characters. [9] She has seamlessly combined her work in the public space, her work on language, and her work on the internet into art. Additionally, she has created new works that employ a fresh approach to character development. „Neddam archives the material and devotes herself to the preservation of pages threatened with dissolution. Her characters also serve for the derivation of works in other media.“ [11]
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