Born in 1972 in Paris, lives and works in Marseille (FR)
Whether in her artistic choices, the materials she explores or her relationship with the world, mobility lies at the heart of Alice Hamon’s practice. She studied at the École supérieure des arts décoratifs in Strasbourg (HEAR), followed by the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). Her work explores territory and landscape, with recurring investigations into traces, memory and different ways of seeing. Drawing inspiration from both the maritime world and the transformations of urban space, her practice brings together drawing, photography and installation.
Based in Marseille, she pursues several lines of research, some of them over extended periods of time. The Mediterranean region provides an initial field of exploration, focusing on the geographical and architectural configurations of places, particularly flat roofs and rooftop spaces. Here, she creates ephemeral drawings that are subsequently photographed in situ. The drawn forms enter into dialogue with the actual landscape, creating correspondences between observed spaces and imagined projections. Through these interventions, she also questions public space, its uses and the freedom to introduce an artistic gesture into it. Drawing becomes a temporary form of occupation, a way of taking one’s place, shifting perceptions and proposing alternative readings of a territory. Oscillating between documentary and poetic speculation, her works reveal connections between places that may be geographically distant, yet share histories, forms of habitation or abandonment.
On paper, Alice Hamon extends this research through photographs and fragments collected during her travels. Questions of scale and geometry intersect with collage, transparency, ink and graphite. She also explores the physical properties of materials and supports, notably sandblasted glass, whose frosted surfaces alter the perception of the image and invite the viewer to shift their gaze. The material is no longer simply a support but becomes an integral part of the experience of the work. From drawing to object, her research extends into printmaking, artist’s books and publishing projects, public displays and installations.
For more than ten years, her work as a sailor has taken her across maritime territories and progressively towards the Far North. This experience of movement has transformed her relationship with landscape, time and perspective. In these vast, fragile and sparsely inhabited environments, the body encounters different scales and temporalities. She has developed a more open photographic approach, embracing chance and unpredictability, with a preference for analogue photography and black and white. Her attention is particularly drawn to traces of human presence and the marks left behind in these environments.
Alongside her artistic practice, Alice Hamon regularly develops and leads art workshops for diverse audiences in collaboration with cultural institutions. These projects have resulted in collaborative publications and public presentations, notably with Le Port a jauni publishing house, the Fondation Van Gogh, Fondation LUMA in Arles and the FRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
She is a founding member of Empreinte Polaire – Connaître pour protéger and president of Air Citoyen.