For the past five years, his woven bamboo works have been drawing people’s attention on the Côte d'Azur with and he will soon be exhibiting in Nice. What’s so special about Kim Cao? Giving back to humanity, a role as enthralled observer.
He began his adventure in the world of images as a photography assistant for big names such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Kevin Westenberg and Terry Richardson. He then turned his passion for music into a profession and became an accomplished singer-guitarist. Even though Kim Julien Cao lived in tune with this frenzied existence, he also felt an immense need to get back to nature, where the senses speak louder than thoughts: "I had lived in the city up to this point. So I decided to settle in Saint-Paul de Vence, next to a forest. The next step was moving to Coursegoules, a village nestled in a natural setting, where I now live". For Kim Cao, being close to the elements became a real lifestyle choice and this is the only way to understand the origin of his sculptures: "It’s from then on that I started to produce Land art, small-format to begin with: origami, yarn, then plant weaving". While he continues to create smaller commissioned works, the artist has made a name for himself with his open-air sculpture-installations, at the Figures Libres exhibition at the MIP Gardens in Mouans-Sartoux, the We Love Green festival in Paris and the great Humus Park biennial in Pordenone, Italy.
Taking time along the way
Kim Cao spends long hours immersed in bamboo forests to find the right size stems for his sculptures. Once harvested, they have to be patiently cut with a machete before they can be assembled into works that reflect the human social fabric, a myriad of elements supporting each other. He adds: "Weaving vegetable matter calms my mind and connects me to the present. I get the feeling that this need to reconnect with your senses is a longing many people share today.” Kim Cao invites visitors to contemplation during walks along the Riviera, mimicking nature’s randomness, imitating birds weaving their nests. Sometimes, he weaves plants into forms that express a particular feeling, or simply compliment a natural setting. Sometimes, he hangs living plants that grow in and on the sculpture, until they eventually take possession of it.
Towards kinetic installations
The one constant in Kim Cao's work is his cocoons, from Birth, the sculpture presented in 2015 in the Sentier des Arts d’Opio, to Cosmogonia, displayed in Saint-Paul de Vence in early 2020. Sorts of light chrysalises, poetically referring to the fragility of living matter, equally questioning the possible connections between human beings and those they maintain with nature. And fundamentally, the artist assumes a posture of humility. Working with perishable materials, his works are by definition ephemeral. A few years later, only photo or video souvenirs remain. After taking part in a string of Land art events, collaborating with other committed artists in the region such as Sally Ducrow, Cathy Cuby or Yoann Crépin, he is currently working on hybridising natural materials with new technologies. What’s Kim Cao's idea? Immersive indoor installations, playing with shadows and chiaroscuro. Developments you will be able to discover for yourself in the Côte d'Azur capital very soon.
By Tanja Stojanov