About
biography
I grew up in the 80’s, in a cultural desert in the middle of the vineyards of Alsace in France. As a kid I regularly stole the family video camera to shoot absurd movies. I also recorded cut-ups and radio improvisations with a portable hi-fi. In my teenage years I started digging intensely into the underground musical scene. I moved to Paris at the age of 18 to study cinema. I went to all sorts of alternative events that offered multidimensional and challenging musical programs, far from the mainstream culture. The graphic universe of handmade gig posters and fanzines in a DIY spirit fascinated me. The French capital’s teeming cultural scene fed my art education. At the end of 2003, I moved to Berlin. In 2006, I created “Le Petit Mignon”, a place dedicated to innovative music and art on the edge of institutional circuits, combining a record store, an art bookstore, a gallery, and a record label. A year later, I took over Staalplaat, the legendary record store founded in Amsterdam in 1982 and relocated to Berlin, a pioneer in the distribution of experimental and electronic music in Europe. Collaborations with musicians, visual artists and print studios followed in rapid succession in the form of publications, concerts and on- and off-site exhibitions. At the same time I produced my own visual works for flyers, phonographic editions and sporadic exhibitions. During the same period, I developed my first electroacoustic music and hybrid DJ sets and performed experimental music in concerts and international tours. I handed over Staalplaat in 2018 to embark on a spiritual and creative journey in Europe and then Asia, where I had my first experience as a solo artist-facilitator in a Burmese orphanage. At the beginning of 2021, I returned to France. Since then, I’ve devoted myself to my musical and artistic practice under various pseudonyms within Le Petit Mignon. I’m currently moving to a new home in Saorge, in the Roya Valley, where I plan to set up and share my plastic art and sound experimentation studio, continue my activist, publishing, curatorial and mediation activities, and host artists in residence. Future projects include participating in the production of a collective work of reflection on drinking and the culture of alcohol in France, and the launch of a cycling art tour.
artist statement
My body works like a sponge for stimuli during my urban and rural wanderings. I’m focused. I pause for a moment at a visual detail, at a sound that catches my attention. I listen to the thoughts that come into my mind. To the inner vibrations and emotions that are aroused by this sensory experience. A shock interrupts my contemplation. My senses are drawn to the source of this new excitement. I return to my study walk, to the physical and mental movement at the origin of my creative process. The snapshots of memories I accumulate along my walks converse with the volatile magma of my emotions and my personal experience of parties and underground environments where an orgy of dopamine meets benevolent temperance. My artistic territory consequently unfolds on the border between chaos and sobriety. Using collage, photography, mixed media and sound, it explores the connections, overlaps and collisions that exist within this sprawling mental cartography.
inspiration
reading…
Virginia Woolf
Ivan Illich
Didier Eribon
Naomi Klein
Pierre Bourdieu
Vandana Shiva
Michel Chion
Pierre Kropotkine
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Annie Ernaux
Estelle Zhong Mengual
René Guénon
François Bégaudeau
and many more…
listening…
Okkyung Lee
Dead Congregation
Iannis Xenakis
Ol’ Dirty Bastard
Laurie Spiegel
Cheikha Remitti
Autechre
Magma
Corrupted
Selda
Rotten Sound
Pauline Oliveros
MC Mango
and many more…
watching…
Akira Kurosawa
Frederick Wiseman
Agnès Varda
Raymond Depardon
Federico Fellini
Tsui Hark
Dogme95
Andreï Tarkovski
Quentin Dupieux
Sam Peckinpah
Claire Denis
Hong Sang-soo
Catherine Breillat
and many more…
more art…
fluxus
Vera Molnar
Niki de Saint Phalle
Otto Dix
Namio Harukawa
Berlinde De Bruyckere
Mariska de Groot
art brut
shin-bijutsukai
Valentina Vuksic
Paula Rego
Daphne Oram
Pierre Gordeef
and many more…
hashtags…
self-publishing
arts modestes
vipassana
recycling
music
anarchism
do-it-yourself
fooling around
observation
politics
nature
communication
death metal
and many more…
friends…
Once upon a time, in the early years of the mainstream internet, when we artists and creatives thought that the web would grant new means of spreading our thoughts and our works, of networking and reaching a new audience, it was common to add a « friends » page to our website as a sign of gratitude towards close collaborators and sources of inspiration. A sometimes long and messy list of hyperlinked names pointing to artist friends’ homepages, alternative music labels, art spaces, DIY publishing houses and so on… Unfortunately, the sharp claws of neoliberalism soon got into the collaborative willpower of these enthusiastic early net users: the awakening of competition and a craving for recognition quickly put an end to this practice…
LPM would like to put this tradition back on the table and warmly thank the following people for their support, their critics, their goodwill, their teachings, their humour and their creativity. A non-exhaustive list in alphabetic order…
Résumé
artistic projects
concerts & DJ sets
since 2008
• 2019, Braille Festival, Lithuania.
• 2018, tour (7 concerts), Java island, Indonesia.
• 2018, at Peyote, Istanbul, Turkey.
• 2017, at Fuga, Bratislava, Slovakia.
• 2016, at Màgia Roja, Barcelona, Spain.
• 2016, at Abattoirs d’Anderlecht, Belgium.
• 2016, at Cinepalace, Courtrai, Belgium.
• 2016, at Cairo, Würzburg, Germany.
• 2015, at MS Stubnitz, Hamburg, Germany.
• 2014, at Hall Des Chars, Strasbourg, France.
• 2013, Crack Festival, Rome, Italy.
• 2013, at Ground Zero, Lyon, France.
• 2013, at L’Usine, Geneva, Switzerland.
• 2013, at Worm, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
• 2012, at Super Deluxe, Tokyo, Japan.
exhibitions
• 2023, TBC, Lyon, France.
• 2023, “Unearthing”, at Freyaalt, Istanbul, Turkey.
• 2023, “Mess/Age”, at Amp Cafe, Tokyo, Japan.
• 2022, “Mess/Age”, at Hope, Sakata city, Yamagata prefecture, Japan.
residencies
• 2021, at Arquipelago, Ribeira Grande, Azores archipelago, Portugal.
• 2021, at Pico do Refúgio, Rabo de Peixe, Azores archipelago, Portugal.
• 2020, My Own Little Residency, Southeast Asia: Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar.
• 2019, My Own Little Residency, Saint-François, Guadeloupe archipelago, France.
• 2019, at galeria BRÜI, Ponta Delgada, Azores archipelago, Portugal.
editions
• 2023, Compilation Tzii “De-Constructed” (music).
• 2021, Compilation “20 Years Of Night On Earth: Your Egotrip’s Nightmare” (music).
• 2013, Claudio Rocchetti “The Fall Of Chrome” (artwork).
curatorial projects
concerts
2011
“Angura – Experimental Music and Art from Japan” part 2: concert.
Featuring Venus In Virgo (Reiko A. + Sumihisa Arima), Government Alpha (Yasutoshi Yoshida), Sumihisa Arima and Alpha Ailuros (Yasutoshi Yoshida + Reiko A.), ausland, Berlin. Recognized by the Japanese embassy as part of the official program “150 Jahre Freundschaft Deutschland- Japan” celebrating the 150th anniversary of German-Japanese diplomatic relations. Supported by the Cultural Office Pankow.
2006-2012
Regular concerts in Berlin featuring avant-garde, experimental and unconventional music. Featuring, to name just a few: Ben Owen, Madam P, Tom Greenwood, Usurper, Heatsick, Astro, Ignatz, Sudden Infant, Olivier Di Placido + Jassem Hindi, Arnaud Rivière, White Mice, Andrea Belfi, For Barry Ray, Jon Eriksen, Shawn Greenlee, Rinus Von Alebeek, ?Alos, Pato, Antoine Chessex, The Dreams, JD Zazie, Blue Sabbath Black Fiji, One Man Nation, Will Gresson, Kate Donovan, Sten Ove Toft, Company Fuck, Claudio Rocchetti, Dj Scotch Egg, Staplerfahrer, Bex, Vinyl-Terror & -Horror, Cheapmachines, Government Alpha, Mat Pogo, Francesco Cavaliere, Olaf Hochherz, Richard Francis, David Opp, [-Hyph-], Seiji Morimoto, Ottaven, Kakawaka, Utarm, Jeff Gburek, Evil Moisture, Matteo Uggeri, Gli Storp, Suboko, Mattia Coletti, Kamil Korolczuk, …
exhibitions
2012-2019
Traveling group exhibitions (selection):
• 2019, at galeria BRÜI, Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
• 2019, at Kaštieľ, Moravany nad Váhom, Slovakia.
• 2017, at DobraVaga Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
• 2015, at V9 gallery, Warsaw, Poland.
• 2015, at Kino Šiška, Ljubljana Slovenia.
• 2014, at Sonic Protest, La Parole Errante, Paris, France.
• 2014, at Recyclart, Brussels, Belgium.
• 2014, at Anagra, Tokyo, Japan.
• 2014, at Momurag, Kyoto, Japan.
• 2013, at Tapis Vert, Marseille, France.
• 2013, at Worm, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
• 2013, at Espace Labo, Geneva, Switzerland.
• 2013, at MKII, London, UK.
• 2012, at Mograg Gallery, Tokyo, Japan.
• 2012, at Galaxy Gallery, Osaka, Japan.
2011
“Angura – Experimental Music and Art from Japan” part 1: exhibition.
Featuring Daisuke Ichiba and Yasutoshi Yoshida, Staalplaat store, Berlin. Recognized by the Japanese embassy as part of the official program “150 Jahre Freundschaft Deutschland-Japan”. Supported by the JaDe foundation.
2006-2012
Regular exhibitions at Staalplaat store, Berlin. Featuring original drawings, wall paintings, art books and prints designed by emerging international artists. Featuring, once again just to name a few: Atelier McClane, Marc Van Elburg + Zeke Clough + Crippa Almquist, Elzo, Arrache-Toi Un Oeil!, Cécile Alvarez + Pauline Raguin, Zven Balslev, Jeong Hwa Min, Josephin Ritschel, Hanna Andersson + Joakim Ojanen, Kuti Kuti, Pole Ka, Doublebob, Bad Buzz, Stefan Brandstifter, Peter Larsson + Lars Nilsson, Gosia Bartosik, James Unsworth, Stefania Pedretti, Grégory Lelay, Arnau Sala + Manuel Donada, Alex Jahn, Elshopo, …
editions
Since 2009
Wide range of art objects and collaborative works combining unconventional music and hand-printed illustrations in very limited hand-assembled editions. To date: 15 editions in all and 2 artist t-shirts.
Award: LPM01 Mounir Jatoum, Antoine Chessex, Arnaud Rivière “Split” 7”+Artprint: Qwartz Artwork/Packaging at Qwartz Electronic Music Awards, Paris (France), 2011.
• 2019, LPM19: Ralf Wehowsky and Anla Courtis (music), Rafaël Houée (artwork) – “l Mewt uL-Xebba”
• 2018, LPM15: Spettro Family, Klaus Legal (music), Gosia Bartosik (artwork) – “Split”
• 2016, LPM18: Monno (music), Ben Sanair (artwork) – “Cheval Ouvert”
• 2016, LPM17: Debmaster, Dj Die Soon (music), oki-chu (artwork) – “Sammo Hung Quest II: Cursed Demons Season”
• 2014, LPM16: Vinyl-Terror & -Horror, Toys’R’Noise (music), 24 different artists (artwork) – “Le Petit Mignon Vs Le Cagibi”
• 2014, LPM14: Hedoromeruhen, H. (music), Alkbazz (artwork) – “Split”
• 2014, LPM13: Staer, Horacio Pollard (music), Dave 2000 (artwork) – “Split”
• 2014, LPM12: Helaas (music), Insultor (artwork) – “The Second To Last Plague”
• 2014, LPM11: Fully Blown Dental Reform (music), Insultor (artwork) – “FBDR”
• 2012, LPM10: Various Artists (music), ReSurgo! (artwork) – “Hans Trapp”
• 2012, LPM08: Benedikt Rugar (artwork) – “Duff”
• 2012, LPM07: Mark Clifton (artwork) – “The Psychodelikcocks”
• 2012, LPM06: Tree People, Pokemachine (music), Fredox (artwork) – “Split”
• 2010, LPM05: Moha! (music), Bongoût (artwork) – “Kriiskav Valgus”
• 2010, LPM03: Guilty C., Pato (music), Zeke Clough (artwork) – “Split”
• 2010, LPM02: Government Alpha, Evil Moisture (music), CrippaXXXalmqvist and Anna Konishchev (artwork) – “Split”
• 2009, LPM01: Antoine Chessex, Arnaud Rivière (music), Mounir Jatoum (artwork) – “Split”