Fountain of Knowledge

Théophile’s graduation project consisted of Fountain of Money and Fountain of Knowledge. Whereas the first explores the idea of a digital deluge, the second explores the constant flow of information on the internet. Thick smears of pigment cover the computer screen in the form of a Kim Kardashian selfie, a Bob Ross YouTube video, and cult Japanese figure Hatsune Miku. By painting popular internet images onto this window to the digital world, Théophile Blandet shuts off our access to its omniscience. In Fountain of Knowledge, the painted images freeze the screen, just as we become frozen in the face of the sheer volume of available information spilling out. The efficiency of technology is reduced to zero and becomes obsolete. The paintings are the opposite of the original images. They take hours, even days to make and have a physical staying power.
 
After his graduation in 2017, Blandet worked on a range of new projects, including a shelving system, made of discarded plastics that still testify of the material’s status as waste. "Presenting plastic as the new ivory, a future forbidden matter and an endangered resource. P.S is the last honour and obituary for plastic. I am interested in matter that will not be able to exist in the future. Plastic has been celebrated as the miracle material for modern manufacturing, however due to its environmental impact, I believe we will shortly ban its production. I aim to celebrate the rarity of plastic in the future, subverting the value of the material.”