To mark the exhibition Le Syndrome de Bonnard, currently on display at the FRAC Ile-de-France and curated by the collective Le Bureau/—comprising Marc Bembekoff, Garance Chabert, Aurélien Mole, Céline Poulin and Émilie Villez—the curators reflect on the forms and methods of their curatorial practice. 

From their diverse positions—artistic, aesthetic, theoretical, practical, institutional or independent—they have spent the last twenty years or so working to define their practice at the intersection of collective dynamics and individual commitments. 
In contrast to the figure of the author-curator, they favour an experimental and horizontal curatorial approach.  During this meeting, they will reflect on some of the protocols implemented to highlight the trajectories and polysemy of artworks, involving artists, institutions and audiences. 

Founded in 2004, Le Bureau/ is a collective bringing together members with diverse backgrounds and training, both theoretical and practical. Over the past decade, the collective has organised more than fifteen exhibitions in France and abroad.

From the outset, the collective’s structure explicitly rejects the notion of a single curator assuming a position of authority as the sole creator of the exhibition. The aim is to develop, through collaborative work, an experimental approach to the exhibition format and to explore the question of its reception, using precise protocols – much like the rules of a game. Furthermore, the curators’ diverse perspectives on the works help to highlight their polysemy. This is a specific form of collaboration that fosters a radical horizontality in working processes.
Today, Le Bureau/ comprises Marc Bembekoff, Garance Chabert, Aurélien Mole, Céline Poulin and Emilie Villez.

Photo credit: © Aurélien Mole