TEO BECHER

France

Charbon blanc

Présentation

The mountains of the Maurienne are marked by ambiguities, contradictions and oppositions. Nicknamed "aluminium valley", the space is managed and exploited. The torrent of the Arc was favourable to the development of the aluminium industry thanks to its capacity to supply the factories with hydroelectricity. Numerous in the 20th century, only one remains today, bordered by a motorway - the Maurienne is one of the only valleys to have one - and soon by a high-speed train line, a project shaken by various scandals linked to suspicions of corruption and risks of environmental damage. Even if a few winter sports resorts dot the summits, most of the space in the Maurienne is uninhabitable, corresponding to the romantic image of a pure and sublime nature.
For me, it was first of all a question of physically experiencing the landscape. Being in the mountains, walking, breathing, living with this uninhabitable space, which can only be felt on foot, as close to the topography as possible, immersed in the landscape.
These two parts of the work are like two layers that are added to and mixed with each other, blending together, like a walk of discovery, to know every corner of the territory.