Christian BALMIER
BIOGRAPHY
Christian Balmier has been creating mail art since the early 1980s.
He develops concepts based on the functioning of the postal chain.
In homage to Hergé and Jacobs, he creates a series of mailings to comic-book characters, tracking down their successive addresses as defined by these authors in their albums. The postal journey can last several months, and the “envelopes” return to him with all the traces of this vain search for their addressee on the front and back.
Inventor of the concept of “Mail-Performance”, which involves the active participation of those involved in the postal chain, he pursues an often provocative game, in which his own stamps are an integral part of the creations.
Balmier has taken part in numerous exhibitions, including at the New York Coliseum in 1983, at the Musée de la Poste in Paris in 1989 for “Coup d'envoi”, at the Mail-Art Festival 2003 in Tielrode, Belgium, and at the Museum of Modern Arts in Budapest, Hungary in 2007.
From October to December 2016, he presented a retrospective exhibition of almost 40 years of creations in Cavalaire-sur-Mer, France.
He develops concepts based on the functioning of the postal chain.
In homage to Hergé and Jacobs, he creates a series of mailings to comic-book characters, tracking down their successive addresses as defined by these authors in their albums. The postal journey can last several months, and the “envelopes” return to him with all the traces of this vain search for their addressee on the front and back.
Inventor of the concept of “Mail-Performance”, which involves the active participation of those involved in the postal chain, he pursues an often provocative game, in which his own stamps are an integral part of the creations.
Balmier has taken part in numerous exhibitions, including at the New York Coliseum in 1983, at the Musée de la Poste in Paris in 1989 for “Coup d'envoi”, at the Mail-Art Festival 2003 in Tielrode, Belgium, and at the Museum of Modern Arts in Budapest, Hungary in 2007.
From October to December 2016, he presented a retrospective exhibition of almost 40 years of creations in Cavalaire-sur-Mer, France.
Mail-Art creative process
Text
Solo and group exhibitions
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C.D.A.A., Barcelona, Spain, (1980)
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I.C.C., Anvers, Belgium, (1980)
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New-York Coliseum, New-York, United States (Silver Medal) (1983)
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Palais des Congrès, Paris, France (1986)
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Galerie Piscolabis, Barcelona, Spain (1986)
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Musée de la Poste, Paris, France (1989)
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Galerie Piscolabis, Barcelona, Spain (1989)
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La Forge, Paris, France (1993)
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Espace des Arts, Châlons, France (1996)
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Musée de la Poste, Paris, France (2002)
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Mail-Art Festival, Tielrode, Belgium (2003)
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"Mail-Art EXPO", Galerie Dessagières, La Bridoire, France
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"Mail-Art in Paris", Espace Beauregard, Paris, France (Commissaire) (2003)
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"Dessous et Corsets", Viaduc des Arts, Paris, France (2004)
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Art Hall, Paris, France (2005-2006)
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"Parastamps", Museum of Modern Arts, Budapest, Hungary (2007)
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“Mail-Art Stories”, Studio 28, Paris, France (2007)
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“Ciao Paolina”, Bau-Fluxus, Viareggio, Italy (2007)
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"Mosa Exhibition", Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2007)
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"Feast of the History", Bologna, Italy (2007)
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"The Hat of Maciunas", Viareggio, Italy (2007)
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"Mailartissimi", A.S. Popov Central Museum, St-Petersbourg, Russia (2007)
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"Ultimatum" Bau, Viareggio, Italy (2008)
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"Grusse aus St.Petersburg" Mailartissimo, Galerie MITTE, Dresde, Germany (2008)
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"Cocteau, le joli cœur", Milan Cultural Centre, Milan, Italy (2008)
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"Mail-Art 2008 / à demain", Le Sélect, Paris, France (Commissaire) (2008)
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"Mail-Art & Bande Dessinée", Galerie Petits Papiers, Bruxelles, Belgium (2009)
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"Effet dentelle", Calais, France (2010)
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"À vos vœux, prêts, postez !", Galerie Sparts, Paris, France (2010)
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"e-mail Art" galerie TAÏSS - Paris France (2013)
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"Quelques Instants Plus Tard", Paris, Angoulème, Perpignan, France - Bruxelles, Belgium (2012-2013)
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"Mail-Art & Bande Dessinée", Médiathèque de Cavalaire, Cavalaire, France (2016)
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"Voyelles - Hommage à Arthur Rimbaud par 70 artistes majeurs" Florac, France - Casablanca, Maroc - Nice, France - Bruxelles, Belgium (2016-2017)
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"Mail-Art & Bande Dessinée", Florac, France (2017)
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"Mail-Art & Bande Dessinée", Le Phare, Toulon, France (2018)
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"La vie est un film", Nice, France (2019)
Mail-Art creative process
Text
"Voyelles" - Tribute to Arthur Rimbaud by 70 main artists
Florac, France – Casablanca, Maroc – Nice, France – Brussels, Belgium, 2016-2017
e-mail Art
Galerie Taïss – Paris, France, february 2013
Quelques Instants Plus Tard - Modern Art and Comic Books
Paris, France – Angouleme, France – Perpignan, France – Brussels, Belgium, 2012-2013
Mail-Art
Galerie Sparts, décembre 2010
Mail-Art
Le Sélect, Paris, december 2008 – Galerie Sparts, Paris, december 2010
Quotes and interviews
Exhibition opening "Mail-Art & Bande Dessinée", Florac (2017)
Opening of Exhibition "Quelques Instants plus Tard...", aux Couvent des Cordeliers, Paris (2012)
Exhibition "Quelques Instants plus Tard...", Perpignan (2013)
Texte
BOOKS
The works of Christian BALMIER are depiected in the following boooks:
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"Les enveloppes décorées" - Pierre-Stéphane PROUST (2001)
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"Mail-Art" - Renaud SIEGMANN / Editions Alternatives (2002)
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"A vos vœux, prêts, postez" - Galerie Sparts / Paris (2010)
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"La Cartolina Nell’Arte" - Enrico Sturani / Barbieri Editore (2011)
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"Quelques Instants Plus Tard" - Millon / Paris (2013)