Gaël Daugareil. HEAR, Haute École des Arts du Rhin. New Talents Award Nominee 2025

Name of graduation student: Gaël Daugareil
Name of guiding teachers: Sophie Hanagarth and Florence Lehmann

Nominated by HEAR, Haute École des Arts du Rhin


Gaël’s perspective of Haute Ecole des Arts du Rhin ranges from its geometric construction right through to the body. He investigates the cracks in its walls, the wrought iron railings and the archives of this centre for artistic learning as represented by Haute Ecole des Arts du Rhin art school. His passion for history extends to include craftsmanship, know-how, architecture and even boxing. For Gaël, the art academy remains a utopian refuge which, through its liminal spaces and repetitive decorative elements, some of which have since vanished, reveals the traces of a period when the revival of art implied a return to manual work. As Gropius noted, the artist is but an exalted craftsman.

The art academy building takes on the mantle of a campus when, in his performance, Gaël takes a baseball bat to shape and destroy a copper sphere. His research in the school archives has unearthed ancient photographs of people long gone, students from before his time, from a silent generation here in Alsace. Establishing a nostalgic dialogue between image and volume, he creates a mirror-like projection through metal plates, both polished and screen-printed, through which the photographs communicate with the present, recalling that jewellery is worn to nurture interaction with others, whether living or dead.
/ Sophie Hanagarth et Florence Lehmann


Statement of the artist: 
My thesis is rooted in my personal history and my practice of contemporary jewelry, which is inspired by the architecture I encounter on a daily basis. Body adornment is a medium that allows me to highlight these narratives.
My research focuses in particular on the building of the Haute École des Arts du Rhin in Strasbourg, founded in 1892. This investigation has allowed me to learn more about period ornamentation, while putting this concept, which has been hotly debated since the advent of modernism in the 20th century, into perspective.


Contact:
Mail: daugareilgael@gmail.com
Instagram: @gaeldaugareil40

Find out more about HEAR, Haute École des Arts du Rhin