Jouer collectif!

Over the past decades, we have seen the emergence of an increasing number of art collectives. Taking many different forms, they challenge the romantic ideal of the solitary artist, defining creativity as a shared, horizontal process. A collective is not just a group of individuals working side by side; it becomes a conceptual, poetic, political engine, a space where other ways of producing, exchanging, and disseminating art are invented.

Echoing the experiences of the art colony that lived at Gruyères Castle 175 years ago, Jouer collectif! brings together ten art collectives from Western Switzerland. It is an invitation to discover the full breadth of collaborative practices used to redefine contemporary art. Using installations, videos, publishing, performances, and sound installations, the exhibition explores the output of collective creativity and the reasons why artists work together.

In addition to the diversity of approaches, these collectives have a shared intention to rethink the concept of authorship. For a collective, artwork is no longer the signature of one individual, but rather, the outcome of a joint process: combining gestures, thoughts, creativity, and exchanges. Art becomes a community-based, sometimes anonymous product. This political stance is a stark departure from the dominant legacy of individualism in art history. This detachment from the ego opens an avenue for new forms of experimentation and a different relationship to artwork, which is seen as a shared, living space rather than a finished product.

By exploring themes such as environmental protection, the digital economy, image building, land, or art production and dissemination methods, these collectives invent other ways to inhabit the world. Their work highlights both knowledge circulation and the current social and environmental trends. An invitation to think, feel, and imagine differently.