Jules Julien. Anatomy of identity

Created as part of a group show commisioned by French town Metz for their Nuit Blanche 2011, Anatomy of Identity show the series Français! by artist and graphic designer Jules Julien in the ancient paces of the Archiginnasio Library in Bologna. 
Français! is composed by 130 coats of arms created by the French artist as answer to former Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy’s debate on French identity. Through the use of a blunt but very effective range of colours, the artist created a new version of ancient coats of arms from France and all over the world; with his work he explored and questioned the relationship between national identity and globalisation in contemporary society. 
A paper-fall of vividly coloured emblems and crests in complete contrast with the ancient and deeply characterised spaces of the Archiginnasio, Anatomy of Identity is an excursus on human nature and identity nowadays; an identity that does not depend solely on the natural habitat of each single person any longer, but is strongly affected by intercultural affinities and influences. 

Born in France but living and working in Amsterdam, Jules Julien is an artist whose illustrative work questions the reality of the world surrounding us. Beginning his process with a personal research project through drawings and design, he has created works for world-renowned companies such as Diesel, Lancôme, Cartier, Acer computer, Grazia magazine and Sony, to name some. The artist has also been featured in several publications worldwide. He exhibited internationally in Berlin, Paris, Belgium, Hollywood, Zurich, New York, London, Valencia, Madrid, Montreal, San Diego, and Tokyo, which was home to his first solo show called Cadavres Exquis in 2008. 

Vai alla guida d'arte di Bologna