In a world saturated by a constant flow of information that is often anxiety-inducing, where we seem to be reminded of each crisis via incessant notifications, some choose to imagine alternative paths. Many artists defend the importance of rethinking our models, by turning to collective and supportive dynamics. Théophylle Dcx falls squarely within this approach. Mindful of the crises that affect us, he does not give in to the prevailing discouragement: his artistic response is expressed through celebration, joy and love. A fragile yet powerful retort is formulated through his art, questioning our capacity to reinvent ways of living, sharing and creating together.

Théophylle Dcx’s practice speaks to us directly about HIV, sexuality, hedonism and festivity, within a socio-political framework that is marked, damaged and sometimes even tarnished by a diffuse sense of discouragement. For the artist, come what may, the general sense of pessimism becomes festive and must be thwarted by all the positive things that human beings have been able to build: harmonious coexistence, cooperation and solidarity, trust and love. His prose, performances, stagings and artworks exude generosity and self-sacrifice, through the effort and sincerity of a raw realism. Often autobiographical, the artist’s creations immerse us in the everyday organisation of his life, in his passion for electronic music (both underground and mainstream), causing dancefloors to vibrate. These joyous contexts are unable to detract from his strong interest in the history of struggles, those of workers, minorities and LGBTQIA+ communities, which merge and combine in his works, formulating an aspiration for a genuine convergence of struggles.

Having grown up at the edge of forests near Saint-Étienne, Théophylle Dcx recalls his teenage years in the countryside as both stifling and a source of escapism, mainly thanks to the most pop of all music, which he’d listen to for hours in his room. While the city offered him new opportunities to explore and meet people, it never totally appeased his sense of inadequacy regarding his rural origins.  Today, during the Lindre-Basse residency, Théophylle is exploring these memories through the use of objects derived from this turning point in his life, thus drawing on some of the symbols of his youth in his artistic experimentation. He seeks to reconcile this inner tension by reappropriating the slow pace and calm of the countryside and hopes to potentially turn it into a key location for composing new queer imaginaries.

The artist residency programme is organised by the CAC - la synagogue de Delme in collaboration with the Lorraine Regional Natural Park and the village of Lindre-Basse.