BIOGRAPHY
Sébastien Guenot was born in Geneva, Switzerland, on the very late evening of March 28 in 1974, from a family coming from the Franches-Montagnes, in the Swiss Jura mountains.
Primarily grounded in academic disciplines such as drawing, sculpting, painting, space making, cinematic compositing, yet, he constantly holds space to the uncertainty of the mysterious, the unknown, especially the natural elements he feels close to from a human point of view. To be able to contemplate imaginal sceneries that reflects us as souls, from different liminal spaces and times, is what most inspires him to create his own Art ; a free contemplative narrative expression in images, sculptures, films, objects, narrative architectures and poetry.
Sébastien grew up both in the Jura mountainous highlands and the Alpin Leman lake area in Switzerland. In the 1990's, in Lausanne, he trained as an apprentice in architecture with mentor architect Fonso Boschetti, then studied cinematic classical and digital animation at the Vancouver film school in Canada.
Since 2000, he has been working as an independent artistic director and creator for many cultural fields, first in Sweden, in the animated film industry, then in Switzerland, in graphic arts, scenography, narrative architecture and design, mainly for theatres and museums.
From 2012, slowly, he has deepened him self into his own artistic seeking by a small body of work that relies only on his intuitions and dreams. In 2017, a profound need to a daily practice into lucid dreams through intuitive drawing, in his studio or directly in nature, through out his body, made him began an even more profound artistic contemplating artistic practice. In 2021, he is asked to exhibit his Art publicly. From that year he will then start to expose more of his artistic work in the outside world and talk about it. Especially about the co-habitation with the inner world and the utter world that leads us all to a more commonly authentic shared futur. In 2023 he began a co-artistic practice with his spouse, Eva-Lotte Rosenholmer, that blends vegetal printing with drawing and sculpting, under the collective name SÉEV.
Father of three children, he is currently established in the french-speaking part of Switzerland, in-between the Jura mountains and the Alpine area of the Leman lake region. He lives and works in permanent contact with the mountainous forests surrounding his studio and home, while also being at close range of all the main urban cities of Switzerland and Europe.
STATMENT
As an artist, my interest in the restoration of our relationships to the liminal space in-between the visible and invisible of lands and forests, our human bodies, other forms of life, throughout intuitive images and dreams, sculptures, film, installations, imaginal writings, poetry that create new cultural human bounds, is core to my work. It is made from a direct contemplation that become an improvisation of the narrative imagination. A space constantly seeking to the finding of this fondamental question of “what does it mean to be embodied to perceive?”. I find myself reflecting on this daily. So I feel deeply grateful to be a human who creates images and spaces that are committed to moving toward more poetic liminal, comfortably or not, through art and the process of crossing the many transformative thresholds in our current world, which is constantly evolving so rapidly.
In my Art, everything is about metamorphosis. From the authentic feeling of not thinking to the act of being totally open to the inner intuitive guidance of transformation. It is about making become real what wants, in the invisible, to become matter and be seen or hear, in the visible. This practice of mine is about making artistic objects and installations through what connects several possible narratives that can co-create in a safe way a more mirroring human circle. In and around. A least from what can be emerged out of it. Especially to start creating a better cohabiting living resonance in-between our inside worlds and outside worlds. It is about making our human imagination a core muscle of our many living cultures. It is about to empower this very transcendental being that make us become more than human, yet so human.
Although, these emotional states are very often linked to intuitive narrative poetic spaces only found through lucid dreams, they also are a constant unfolded vibrational states of their own in the matter world. For me Art starts in that precise space, just were we can begin being what we sens is evolving into a balance of the chaos of our own reality.
Creating intuitively is is my human offering to this world, so to speak. For me, finding without searching is key to the intuitive Art I am seeking all the time. It leads to a very contemporary, yet also very ancient, human exploration of expansional spaces we can fit in. Very often, these spaces are in my Art linked to our own holistic human consciousness.
As for my self, by intentionally contemplating through my own full scope of expressions, these that create a manifestation of Art in total presence, ideas that continuously emerges out of my hands and body, I feel whole.
This is an endless feeling to what is imagining, sharing, and above all, engaging the self in one's own way. One path that defines an infinite creative other passage of transformations, mainly from what is called to be seek. By collecting sensitive informations of the many in-between worlds that I explore with great passion, my Art creates a never ending story of its own. For me, Art is all about to give space, and then birth, to new narratives that relate to the more than human vibration we all feel inside our bodies, and then selfs. Something that can inspire, both the individual and the collective, to go deeper inside the human self and beyond our limitless imagination. My will is to nurture other imaginative narrative architectures to be able to inhabit more and more the unknown that lives within us all, get inspired from it, and perhaps evolve with it. And above all, it is about sustaining the balance in-between our many intuitive liminal natural spaces, especially with the ones that are linked to the rational material or traditional believes that we are constantly engaging with, as humans.
I don't want to just make things, I want my Art to resonate to a whole feeling that sort of expands to something more metaphorical and poetical. I want it to open up a timeless void that can creates new imaginal narratives that we can safely enter and inhabited, look through, pass through, be in relation with, and then come back with inspirational will. Something to feel more whole. And more, so that we can use it to expand our selfs to what we can feel to be a stronger relation with an authentic Human Life.
CV
Sébastien Guenot
1974 + Born the 28th of march in Geneva, Switzerland, and father of William (2004), Edwin (2007), Elowan (2015)
ART
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 + En Corps, encore (SÉEV) - Humanit'art gallery, Geneva, Switzerland
2022 + And the forest will birth you - Aarlo_u_Viggo gallery, Buchillon, Switzerland
2012 + Le chant du crabe - Grange de Dorigny, Lausanne, Switzerland
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GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 + Bogeyman - Aarlo_u_Viggo gallery, Buchillon, Switzerland
2018 + Carnets d'art - Halle Nord, Geneva, Switzerland
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PUBLIC INSTALLATIONS
2020 + Solstice - Abbey of Romainmôtier, Romainmôtier, Switzerland
2018 + Entre chiens et loups - Permanent artistic installation on the Bridge "Le Pont-du-manège", with the collaboration of architect Baptiste Rothen, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
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PERFORMANCES
2023+ Magma - Experimental improvised drawing performance withwith musician Sébastien Pittet, Mathias Durand, Sadett Turkos - La maison des Moines, Romainmôtier, Switzerland
2021 + Wanu Olo 2 basses - Experimental improvised drawing performance with musician Sébastien Pittet and Loïc Grobety -La maison des Moines, Romainmôtier, Switzerland
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EDITIONS
2018 + Volubile - Drawing and poetry, Genouds Arts Graphiques publishing, Lausanne, Switzerland
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FILMS AND VIDEOS
2024 + Liminal, Switzerland
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CONFERENCES AND TALKS
2021 + Art, design et heures bleues - Public talk about the artistic installation Entre chien et loups, Museum International of Watch Making (MIH), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
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MEDIAS
2023 + L'homme lisière - Swiss television RTS, life and artistic portrait documentary.
2023 + Her/ his Art...Art from the heart with Sébastien Guenot - podcast Edith, Göteborg, Sweden
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PRICES AND NOMINATIONS
2017 + Entre chiens et loups - 1st price, city art contest, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
2000 + Fumo - 1st price, category_ realistic illustration images, International 3D Art festival, Copenhagen, Danemark
2000 + Illusion - 1st price, category_ film school, International 3D Art festival, Copenhagen, Danemark
2000 + Illusion - Nominated, category_ film school, Animago Film Festival, USA
2000 + Illusion - Nominated, category_ film school, Sarasota Film Festival, USA
2000 + Illusion - Nominated, category_ film school, Los Angels Film Festival, USA
2000 + Illusion - Nominated, category_ film school, Santa Fee Film Festival, USA
1992 + Promenade - 1st price, city architecture of Art project for apprentice, State of Vaud, Switzerland
DESIGN
THEATER SCENIC DESIGN AND ARTS
2024 + L'oiseau Bleu - TKM Theater, with stage director Benjamin Knobil / animated scenic narrative videos / TKM Theater Lausanne, Switzerland
2021 + Dédé - Opera in 3 acts, with stage director Philippe Guilois /scenographic design/ Lausanne Opera, Switzerland
2019 + La Smala - Puppetry theater, with stage director Karim Slama /scenographic design/ Lausanne puppetry theatre, Switzerland
2019 + Les Chemins de la Croix - Lyric theater, with stage director Philippe Laedermann /scenographic design/ chapelle St-Loup de Pompaples, Switzerland
2018 + Nabucco - Opera in 4 acts, with stage director Philippe Guilois and Gérard Demierre, /scenographic design/ Lausanne Cathedral, Switzerland
2018 + Peer Gynt - Lyric theater, with stage director Gérard Demierre /scenographic design and animated scenic narrative videos / Théâtre du Jorat, Mézières, Switzerland
2017 + Dracula buveur de sons - Lyric theater, with stage director Gérard Demierre /scenographic design/ Ephemeral theatre, Le Brassus, La vallée du Joux, Switzerland
2016 + Amahl et les visiteurs de la nuit - Opera in 1 act, with stage director Gérard Demierre /scenographic and costume design/ Lausanne Opera, Switzerland
2016 + La belle de Cadix - Opera in 2 acts, with stage director Patrick Lapp /scenographic and costume design, scenic graphic art/ Lausanne Opera, Switzerland
2015 + Madama Butterfly - Opera in 3 acts, with stage director Éric Vigié /scenographic design/ Avenches open air Opera, Switzerland
2014 + Phi Phi - Opera in 3 acts, with stage director Gérard Demierre /scenographic and costume design, scenic graphic art, props design and making/ Lausanne Opera, Switzerland
2014 + Un patricien au crépuscule - Theater, with stage director Roger Jendly /scenographic design/ Fribourg, Switzerland
2014 + La riviera prend son temps - Lyric theater, with stage director Philippe Laedermann /scenographic design/ Théâtre du Prés-aux-Moines, Cossonay, Switzerland
2013 + La beauté sur la terre - Theater, with stage director Gérard Demierre /scenographic design/ Ephemeral theater, Cully, Switzerland
2014 + Fontaine je boirai de ton eau - Contemporary dancing, with choreographers director Corinne Rochet and Nicholas Pettit /scenographic design and scenic graphic art/ Le Petit Théâtre de Lausanne, Switzerland
2012 + Requiem de Mozart - Lyric theater, with stage director Gérard Demierre /scenographic design, animated scenic narrative videos / Théâtre du Jorat, Mézières, Switzerland
2018 + Créature, le fou du roi - Lyric theater, with stage director Gérard Demierre /scenographic and costume design, animated scenic narrative videos, mask making / La tour vagabonde, Fribourg, Switzerland
2011 + La petite fille aux allumettes - Theater, with stage director Gérard Demierre /scenographic design, scenic narrative videos, scenic graphic art, props design/ Théâtre du Jorat, Mézières, Switzerland
2010 + Deux décis d'Odyssé - Theater, with stage director Gérard Demierre /scenographic design, scenic graphic art / Ephemeral theater, Morges, Switzerland
2010 + L'enfant et les sortilèges - Opera in 2 acts, with stage director Benjamin Knobil /costume and props design/ Lausanne Opera, Switzerland
2009 + Le garçon savoyard - Theater, with stage director Gérard Demierre /scenographic design/ Ephemeral theater, Cully, Switzerland
2009 + Les misérables - Lyric theater, with stage director Gérard Demierre /costume design/ Théâtre de Beaulieu, Lausanne, Switzerland
2008 + Le carnaval des animaux - Musical theater, with stage director Gérard Demierre /scenographic design, lighting design, scenic graphic art, scenic accessories making / Théâtre Paraderveski, Switzerland
2007 + Les moutons bleus - Opera in 1 act, with stage director Gérard Demierre /scenographic and costume design/ Lausanne Opera, Switzerland
2007 + La passion selon St-Jean de J.Bach - Lyric theater, with stage director Gérard Demierre, /scenographic and costume design/ Lausanne Opera, Switzerland
2006 + Dido et Aeneas - Musical theater, with stage director Gérard Demierre /scenographic design/ Chatillon, Switzerland
2006 + Pierre et le loup - Opera in 1 act, with stage director Gérard Demierre /costume design and mask making / Lausanne Opera, Switzerland
2006 + Les lutins du grand chêne - Puppetry theater, with stage director Gérard Demierre /scenographic design / Lausanne Opera, Switzerland
2005 + Le gros poisson du lac - Theater, with stage director Gérard Demierre /giant puppetry design and making/ Ephemeral theater, Coppet, Switzerland
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MUSEAL SCENOGRAPHIC DESIGN
2023 + Musée de la Maison de la Tourbière - Permanent exhibition design /artistic and design direction/ Les Ponts-de-Martels, Switzerland
2020 + Extraordinaire - Ephemeral exhibition /artistic and design direction/ museum of contemporary design and Art (MUDAC), Lausanne, Switzerland
2018 + Musée Rousseau - Design contest project on invitation for a new permanent exhibition /artistic direction and co-designed with architect Baptiste Rothen/ museum of Rousseau (MR), Geneva, Switzerland
2018 + La fabrique des contes - Design contest project on invitation for a new permanent exhibition /artistic direction and co-designed with architect Baptiste Rothen/ Geneva Museum of Ethnography (MEG), Geneva, Switzerland
2016 + Musée des civilisation de l'islam (MUCIVI) - Permanent exhibition design /artistic direction and co-designed with architect Baptiste Rothen/ La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
2013 + Dresscode - Ephemeral exhibition /artistic and design direction/ museum of Gruyrian art and culture (MG), Gruyère, Switzerland
2007 + Coppet - Permanent exhibition (project) /artistic and design direction/ historic museum, Coppet, Switzerland
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CULTURAL VISUAL ARTS AND GRAPHIC DESIGN
2023 + En Corps, encore - Art exhibition of the artistic duo SÉEV / design of the communication/ Geneva, Switzerland
2023 + Magma - Experimental concert / visual illustration and design of the communication/ Romainmôtier, Switzerland
2023 + Musée de la Maison de la Tourbière - Museum / design and graphical Art, direction of the video making for the museum permanent exhibition as well as the exhibition book / Les Ponts-de-Martel, Switzerland
2021 + Wanu_Olo_2basses_solo - Experimental concert /visual illustration and design of the communication / Romainmôtier, Switzerland
2021 + Wanu_Nachalo - Music album / illustration and design of the LP for musician Sébastien Pittet / Romainmôtier, Switzerland
2021 + Raconte moi - Press / illustration contest project on invitation for the department of architecture of the state of Vaud / Lausanne, Switzerland
2011-21 + Théâtre du Prés-aux-Moines de Cossonay - Theater /visual illustrations and design of the annual theatrical programmation and communication / Cossonay, Switzerland
2018 + Musée des civilisation de l'islam (MUCIVI) - Museum / book design and graphical Art of the permanent exhibition / La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
2005-15 + Chateau de Chillon - Museum /Visual illustrations and design of the annual public programmation and communication / Montreux, Switzerland
2015 + NORRS architecture and design - Visual identity / logo and textual formats design/ Romainmôtier, Switzerland
2013 + La beauté sur la terre - Theater / visual illustrations and design of the programmation and general communication / Cully, Switzerland
2013 + Papy fait de la résistance - Theater / visual illustrations and design of the communication of the show / Théâtre Montreux Riviera, Switzerland
2013 + Théâtre du Prés-aux-Moines de Cossonay - Theater /visual identity design, logo and textual formats / Cossonay, Switzerland
2011-13 + Journal Ithaque - Press /visual illustrations / Romainmôtier, Switzerland
2013 + Irma la douce - Theater / visual illustrations and design of the communication of the show / Théâtre de Nyon, Switzerland
2012 + Créature, le fou du roi - Theater / visual illustrations and design of the communication of the show / Fribourg, Switzerland
2012 + Requiem of Mozart - Theater / visual illustrations and design of the communication of the show / Théâtre du Jorat Mézières, Switzerland
2011 + La petite fille aux allumettes - Theater / visual illustrations for the communication of the show / Théâtre du Jorat Mézières, Switzerland
2011 + Romainmôtier 2020 - Found rising / design for the booklet of the communal project / Romainmôtier, Switzerland
2009 + Le garçon savoyard - Theater / visual illustrations and design of the communication of the show / Cully, Switzerland
2007 + Jazzband escales dans les années folles - Theater / visual illustrations and design of the communication of the show / Théâtre du Lignon, Switzerland
2007 + Exode - Theater / visual illustrations and design of the communication of the show / Lausanne Cathedral, Switzerland
2013 + A coeur Joie Suisse - Visual identity / logo and textual format design / Lausanne, Switzerland
2011-13 + La souris de bronze - Museum / visual narrative graphics and illustrations, textual format design of the book / Musée Romain de Vidy, Switzerland
2007 + La passion selon St-Jean de J.Bach - Theater / visual illustrations and design of the communication of the show / Lausanne Cathedral, Switzerland
2005 + Le gros poisson du lac - Theater / visual illustrations and design of sales products for the show / Coppet, Switzerland
2000 + Peter Opsvik - Museum / visual narrative illustrations of the book show / Göteborg, Sweden
2000 + Orca Visions - Visual identity design / logo and textual formats / Lausanne, Switzerland
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ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN
2012-15 + FamEvSe - Architectural design /re-design and design of the exterior and interior of a family house/ Romainmôtier, Switzerland
2007 + UrbaMob - Fourniture design /design project for the new municipality urban fournitures/ Coppet, Switzerland
2005 + JuFe- Interior design /fire place design for an old farm house/ Les Chenevières, Switzerland
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FILM AND VIDEO PRODUCTION DESIGN
2023 + Par les saisons de la tourbière - Museum video, for the permanent exhibition of the museum of La maison de la Tourbière, representing life throughout all four saisons /direction and production of 2 videos representing a poetical narrative of an annual natural evolution of a protected site/ Les Ponts-de-Martels, Switzerland
2009 + Habiter le futur - Promotional video, for a future architectural urban site /direction and production of a video explaining poetically, throughout narrative fiction/ Coppet, Switzerland
2001 + Beyond - Promotional video, for the American event of a private company/direction and production of a video explaining poetically, throughout narrative fiction and special effects, the spirit of the company/ Göteborg, Sweden
2000 + Youth kingdom - Promotional video for the city cultural communication for youth /direction and production of several animated videos/ Göteborg, Sweden
2000 + In the make - Promotional portfolio video for a private company /direction and production of several animated videos/ Göteborg, Sweden
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TEACHING AND MENTORING
2023-P + AMAWA, mentoring structure for holding space in the liminal home in-between Art and Nature and the narrative that can be explored / mentoring and guiding, teaching in imaginal narrative Art, academic drawing, narrative intuitive poetry and intuitive narrative through bookmaking / Romainmôtier, Switzerland
2018-22 + IdéeHouse, school of architecture /courses in architectural project/ Lausanne, Switzerland
2004-15 + Athenaeum, school of architecture and design /courses in observation drawing, architectural perspective drawing, architectural analog rendering illustration, architectural digital rendering illustration, architectural graphic design communication, individual mentoring in architectural project, architectural project, narrative scenographic space project/ Lausanne, Switzerland
2000-02 + Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, School of 3d modelling and 3D animation for the film and game industry /courses in analog sculpting, digital modelling, digital illustration rendering, digital painting, life drawing, character design drawing, animation cinematic/ Göteborg, Sweden
ENTREPRENEURIAL
2006-P + ASÉGU - Creative Studio in visual and graphic Arts, narrative space for architecture and design, scenography, video and film (founder and director), Romainmôtier, Switzerland
2015-18 + NORRS - Interior architecture and Design Studio (founder and associate director), Lausanne, Switzerland
2000-03 + ORCA VISIONS - Digital Art Studio for film (founder and associate director), Göteborg, Sweden
EDUCATION, SCHOOLS AND TRAININGS
2023 + Rites of passages, the practice of Living and Dying - 6 days seminar by Meredith Little (founder of the School of Lost Borders in USA), Champex, Switzerland
2020 + The narrative language in drawing - 5 days (online) seminar by Amaya Gurpide, artist and co-artistic director of the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, OldLyme, Connecticut, USA
2014 + Narrative writing, the hero cycle - 4 days seminar by Sandra Korol, writer and actor, Lausanne, Switzerland
1999 + Vancouver Film School (VFS) - 1 year cinematic animated film and digital special effects intensive program, 3d animation and digital effects artist diploma, Vancouver, Canada
1996 + Pacific Flying Club (PFC) - 5 months flying school with intensive flight training (82hrs) on Cessna 152 and 172, Boundry bay airport, Delta, British Colombia, Canada
1996 + Pacific Language Institute (PLI) - 5 months intensive training in English (5 months), Cambridge First Certificate, Vancouver, Canada
1990-94 + Architecture apprenticeship - 4 years apprenticeship at Ateliers Fonso Boschetti architects, federal professional diploma, Lausanne, Switzerland