Louise Hervé and Chloé Maillet were born in 1981. They have worked together in Paris since 2000. Through the I.I.I.I (International Institute of Important Items) , they produce genre movies, performances and installations.

I interviewed them not only because they were quoted by Matali Crasset (obviously) but because I felt the need of crushing those walls between disciplines and no one does it like Louise Hervé and Chloé Maillet.

 

The strongest man in the world : 1. Maciste, magic lantern and painted glass plate, 2010, courtesy Marcelle Alix Gallery

 

AGIHK: WHO ARE THE FILM MAKERS AND WRITERS AND INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS THAT INSPIRE YOUR WORK OR LEFT YOU A STRONG VISUAL HERITAGE?

 

Louise Hervé and Chloé Maillet : Many filmmakers have been important for us, should we mention only a few, we’d say Georges Meliès’s early science-fiction and historical short films, 1960’s sword-and-sandal Italian films (by Mario Bava especially), and more recently, Eugène Green’s feature films.

 

AGIHK: IF A SPONSOR WAS TO GIVE YOU UNLIMITED FUNDS IS THERE A DREAM PROJECT YOU WOULD REALISE?

 

Louise Hervé and Chloé Maillet : We would like to direct a sword-and-sandal feature film, in Cinecittà.

 

AGIHK: IF SOMEONE COULD VISIT 3 MUSEUMS IN THE WORLD WHICH ONES WOULD YOU SEND HIM TO?

 

Louise Hervé and Chloé Maillet : The Sir John Soane Museum in London (and its famous recess, open only twice a day), the Musée Gallo-romain in Lyon (France), for its beautiful building hidden in Fourvière hill, and the Museu Zoologico in Sao Paulo (they have very fine dioramas).

 

 

The dragon’s cave, 2010, typed manuscript, ink drawings, private collection

 

 

AGIHK: THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?

 

Louise Hervé and Chloé Maillet: We’re currently reading non-narrative texts, by Emmanuelle Pireyre (Comment faire disparaître la terre ? ) and Stephane Bérard (L’enfer).

 

 

AGIHK: WHO ARE THE ARTISTS FROM YOUR GENERATION YOU ARE LOOKING AT?

 

Louise Hervé and Chloé Maillet : Julien Prévieux, Benjamin Seror, Pauline Boudry and Renate Lorenz, Dominique Gilliot, Soraya Rhofir, Alexandre Singh, Céline Ahond.

 

AGIHK: AND WHAT ABOUT THE PAST GENERATION?

 

Louise Hervé and Chloé Maillet : Lawrence Weiner, Liam Gillick, Peter Fischli & David Weiss, Andrea Fraser, Jeremy Deller, Valérie Mrejen.

 

AGIHK: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MATALI CRASSET’S WORK?

 

Louise Hervé and Chloé Maillet : Matali Crasset is not only designing objects, but thinking of what is around the objects, we mean people, ways of living. She is very curious of other fields (music, theatre, cinema), and that shows in her works.

 

AGIHK: WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON AND WHERE CAN YOUR WORK BE SEEN?

 

Louise Hervé and Chloé Maillet : We’ve just finished a short 8mm film, A recess and a reconstruction, recently shown in Centre Georges Pompidou. We are recording a radio drama which will be broadcasted on April 10th on France Culture which is entitled Restauration totale. Our next show will be in Milan, in the Centre culturel français, in June.

 

A recess and a reconstruction, 2010, film still, courtesy Marcelle Alix gallery

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