During my first discussion with Didier Lamandé about a future exhibition at the Galerie du Dourven, I told him that I would like to conceive the exhibition as a «crossroads» for everybody who frequents the park … the fisherman, the hikers, the swimmers, the joggers, the dog-walkers etc.

– This will be difficult, he replied, because dogs aren’t allowed in the gallery.
– Then my first artistic gesture must be to modify the house rules, so that we can welcome our canine friends.

After taking a few days to think about it, Didier showed me the green light. I started to imagine a rather sculptural way to announce the rule change to the concerned community.

J’ai décidé de prendre contact avec Michel François afin de l’inviter à participer à cette exposition. Je lui ai proposé d’enlever le verre de la fenêtre, de le remplacer avec une planche de contre-plaqué, coller son affiche, et de découper la porte pour que les chiens puissent entrer, assistés par une rampe.

Some years before, I had seen an exhibition by Michel François at the Chapelle du Genêteil, Château-Gontier. As is often the case, he printed a large photographic poster for the occasion. For this exhibition he chose the image of the dog’s kennel at the Villa Ricarda, designed by the architect Antonio Bonet for the Gomis Family on the outskirts of Barcelona. I decided to contact Michel François and to invite him to participate in my exhibition. I propose to him that we remove the glass from the window and replace it with a sheet of plywood, paste his poster into position, and cut out the door so that the dog’s can enter, assisted by a ramp.

Generous as he is, he responded in the affirmative.