Prune Nourry

The artist

Born in 1985 in Paris, Prune Nourry lives and works in New York. She is interested in the fields of science and anthropology, particularly bioethical questions relating to gender selection and the artificial evolution of humankind. She explores these issues with an artistic approach that combines sculpture, installations, performances and video. Over the last few years, the artist has gained recognition for her long-term projects, such as the Terracotta Daughters army, inspired by the Xi’an terracotta warriors. The piece travelled the world between 2013 and 2015, from Paris to China and taking in Zurich, New York and Mexico City.


Exhibitions

Biography

Birth Born in 1985 in Paris, France
Residency Lives and works between New York and Paris
Education 2006
École Boulle, Paris, France

SOLO EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION)

2025 Galerie Templon, Paris, France
Projet Phenix, Fondation Bullukian, Lyon, France
2023 Ligne de vie, musée de La Poste, Paris, France
Fauteuil d’artiste #11, La Scala – Paris, Paris, France
2022 Mater Earth, permanent installation, Château La Coste, Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, France
Statues Also Breathe, Art Twenty One, Lagos, Nigeria
Infinite Arrows, TEMPLON, Brussels, Belgium
L’Amazone Érogène (Arc), displayed in Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium’s hall, Brussels, Belgium
Atys, Cour d’honneur, Assemblée nationale, Paris, France
Atys, Opéra-ballet, Opéra royal de Versailles, Paris, France
Atys, Grand foyers, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
Atys, Opéra-ballet, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
2021 Projet Phenix, Galerie Templon, Paris, France
Amazone Erogène, Le Bon Marché – Rive Gauche, Paris, France
2019 Catharsis Galerie Templon, Paris, France
Daughters, Château de Malromé, Saint-André-du-Bois, France
2018 The Amazon, Standard Plaza Hotel, New York, USA
La destruction n’est pas une fin en soi, Les Rencontres de la photographie d’Arles, Les Magasins Électriques, Arles, France
2017 Holy, Carte Blanche à Prune Nourry, musée Guimet, Paris, France
Contemporary Archeology, Galerie Daniel Templon, Brussels, Belgium

Voir plus

2016 Imbalance, Galerie Magda Danysz - Paris, Paris, France
2015 Terracotta Daughters, The Earth Ceremony, landfill of the Terracotta Daughters army, China
Terracotta Daughters, Simon Studer Art, Geneva, Switzerland
2014 Terracotta Daughters, Museo Diego Rivera Anahuacalli, Mexico, Mexico
Terracotta Daughters, China Institute, New York, USA
Imbalance, installation in a back & foot rub, New York, USA
Terracotta Daughters, Flux Laboratory, Zurich, Switzerland
Terracotta Daughters, Galerie Magda Danysz - Paris , Paris, France
Terracotta Daughters, Le Centquatre, Paris, France
2013 Terracotta Daughters, Galerie Magda Danysz, Shanghai, China
Genesis, Casino Venier, Venice, Italy
Holy Daughters, Flux Laboratory, Geneva, Switzerland
Holy Daughters, Henrik Springmann Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2012 Holy Daughters, The Invisible Dog Art Center, New York, New York, USA
2011 Holy Daughters, curated by Tatyana Franck, Paris, France
2009 Le Dîner Procréatif, Laboratory Studio, Paris, France
2007 Les Bébés domestiques, Max Lang Gallery, New York, USA
In situ exhibition, Animalerie, Quai de la Mégisserie, Paris, France

GROUP EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION)

2024 Atys, Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire, France
Faire corps, Fondation Villa Datris, Paris, France
Breasts, Palazzo Franchetti, Venice, Italy
2023 Dsoérdre, H Gallery, Paris, France
L'Hôtel particulier de Monsieur H, Galerie Mouvements Modernes, Paris, France
Just Phriends - Joopiter, Perrotin Matignon, Paris, France
Métro ! Le Grand Paris en mouvement, Cité de l’Architechture et du Patrimoine, Paris, France
Sculpture Garden, Biennale, Crans-Montana, Switzerland
Temporality_Capturing the transience of the present moment, MOT (Module of Temporality) – Traveling exhibition ; Dnipro ; Kiev ; Kyiv Ukraine
Strand for Women, FIAF et Masha Amini, New York, USA
De leur temps (7), Un regard sur des collections privées, Frac Grand Large, Dunkerque, France
2022 Nafas, The Invisible Dog Art Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Mater Earth, permanent installation, Château La Coste, Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, France
Mettre au monde, Centre d’art contemporain de l’ar[T]senal, Dreux, France
Glasstress 2022 curated by Adriano Berengo and Dimitri Ozerkov, Fondazione Berengo Art Space, Venice, Italy
Her way to say it, The Invisible Collection, London, UK
2019 Glasstress 2019, 6th edition, curated by Vik Muniz and Koen Vanmechelen, Fondazione Berengo Art Space, Venice, Italy
Bêtes de Scène, Fondation Villa Datris, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France
2018 Vis-à-vis, Galerie Magda Danysz – Paris, Paris, France
Collection David H. Brolliet, Geneva, Switzerland
40 ans de passion, Collection David H. Brolliet, Fondation Fernet-Branca, Saint Louis, France
2017 Hidden Art, Simon Studer Art, Geneva, Switzerland
2016 Anima, The Invisible Dog Art Center, New York, NY, USA

Voir plus

2015 Voices of 20 Contemporary Artists at Idem Paris, Tokyo Station Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
The Drawing Hand™ Chapter 4 - Md Gallery Paris, Galerie Magda Danysz – London, London, UK
360°, Galerie Magda Danysz – Shanghai, Shanghai, China
Sleeping Beauty, Galerie Magda Danysz – Paris, Paris, France
Asia Now, Espace Pierre Cardin, Paris, France
2014 Girls, Galerie Perrotin, Paris, France
La Part Animale, Galerie Sophie Sheidecker, Paris, France
2013 At Home, Contemporary Art Center, Malaga, Spain
2011 Group Show, Polka Galerie, Paris, France
Holy Daughters, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
2009 Gimme More, Galerie Elaine Levy, Brussels, Belgium
2008 Les Bébés domestiques, KJBi Art Space, Brussels, Belgium
2007 Biennale d'Issy, Musée Français de la Carte à Jouer, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
2006 Wooster on Spring, New York, New York, USA
Aux Arts Citoyens, Espace des Blancs Manteaux, Paris, France

NOMINATIONS

2018 Nomination to the Order of Commander of Arts and Letters, Ministry of Culture and Communication, France

CONFERENCES AND LECTURES

2022 The world is ours, Serendipity film screening and conference, Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine, Paris, France
Duel #2, Serendipity film screening and conference; moderators: Tatyana Franck and François Asermet, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
2019 The First Annual TIME 100 Health Summit, world leaders and prominent figures in health care discussing essential perspectives on health and wellness, New York City, USA
Metrograph Theater, Introduction of Agnes Varda’s film “Cleo from 5 to 7” by Prune Nourry, New York City, USA
2018 A conversation with Taryn Simon and Prune Nourry, Park Avenue Armory Talk, Luncheon Series, New York City, USA
Fubiz Talk, Le rendez-vous de la créativité, Salle Pleyel, Paris, France
2016 Mapping Memory, Keynote Address, CUNY University The Graduate Center, New York City, USA
Preparing Tomorrow Today – designing a museum for the future, with Tatyana Franck (Director of the musée de l'Elysée in Lausanne), Aurora Museum, Shanghai, China
2014 Visiting Artist Lecture, Suny New Platz, New York City, USA
Art et Société: L’imaginaire peut-il influer sur la réalité?, (Art and Society: can imagination change the reality?), with Sophie Makariou (Director of Musée Guimet), Christophe Guilmoto (Sociologist) and Magda Danysz (Gallerist), Paris, France
Terracotta Daughters, Discussion with Chien Chung (Didi) Pei, Chair of the Board of Trustees of China Institute, Alliance Française - Institut Français, New York, USA
2010 Holy Daughters - Sex Selective Abortions in India, with the sociologist Ravinder Kaur, moderated by Alka Pande, art adviser and curator, India Habitat Center, New Delhi, India
The Emergence of Contemporary Indian Art, moderated by Christine Ithurbide, researcher in contemporary art, Musée du Quai Branly, Paris, France
2009 Interview-conference, moderated by Malvika Maheshwari, Professor, Science Po, Paris, France
Conference, moderated by Sonia Brunel, speaker of National Museums, auditorium of the Louvre, Paris, France

Voir plus

2008 How we draw the borderline between humans and animals: Challenging art experiments with hybrid pet babies, moderated by sociologist Noriko Nijiima, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
2007 Interview-conference, moderated by Professor Gérard Rodach, Science Po, Paris, France

PROJECTS

2024 Atys, Domaine de Chaumont sur Loire, France
Works commissioned by the Cheval Blanc Hotel, Seychelles
2023 Timbre d’artiste, édité par La Poste, France
2022 Creation of a stamp, edited by La Poste, French postal services
Set of baroque opéra-ballet Atys, Grand Théatre de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland; Opéra Royale de Versailles, Versailles, France
2020 Serendipity, Special projection series, UNAFF/Stanford, Denver Women Film Festival, Health Museum Houston, TX, United States
2018 Serendipity, film directed by Prune Nourry, written and produced by Alastair Siddons, edited by Paul Carlin, executive producers : Angelina Jolie, Sol Guy, Darren Aronofsky, presented at the MoMA DOC Fortnight Festival, New York, USA; at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale 2019), Berlin, Germany; at the Tribeca Film Festival 2019, New York, USA;

PERFORMANCES

2018 The Amazon, installation and performance, Hudson River and Standard Plaza Hotel, New York, USA
2013 Genesis, solo show and performance, Casino Venier, Venice, Italy
Le Dîner procréatif, solo exhibition and performance, Flux Laboratory, Geneva, Switzerland
2014 The Archeological dinner, Installation and performance, in collaboration with Jean-François Piège, Le Centquatre, Paris, France
2011 Holy River, happening, Calcutta Arts Club, Calcutta, India
Spermbar, installation and performance, 5th Avenue commissioned by L’Institut français Alliance Française (FIAF) during the Crossing the Line Festival, New York, USA
2010 Holy Daughters, happening, New Delhi, India
2009 Le Dîner procréatif, installation and performance, Espace R, Geneva, Switzerland
2008 Les Bébés domestiques, happening, Tokyo, Japan
Adoption Day #2, happening, Galerie Elaine Levy, Brussels, Belgium

Voir plus

2007 Adoption Day #1, happening, Jaguar Shoes Gallery, London, United Kingdom

Press Release

Point de vue - June, 2023

À l'origine du monde

Raphaël Morata

Le Monde - décembre 2022

Prune Nourry en corps-à-corps avec le paysage

Emmanuelle Jardonnet

Independent - novembre 2026

Are the statues of missing chikbok girls still breathing


Financial Times - October, 2022

Prune Nourry is super-sizing her sculptures

Tribune des Arts - Septembre 2022

La terre et la matière

Carole Kittner

Forbes - août 2022

Find Out How This French Artist Transformed Her Ilness Into Art

Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle


Le Journal des Arts

Prune Nourry au kaléidoscope

Fabien Simode

Le Monde - février 2022

Atys de Lully, histoire d'une métamorphose au Grand Théâtre de Genève

Marie-Aude Roux

Art Passions - décembre 2021

Prune Nourry de la Terre à la Chair

Arthus Dreyfus


Libération - novembre 2021

Prune Nourry, la touche à tout

Wallpaper - septembre 2021

Prune Nourry's sculptures are to be touched, but not seen

Numéro - septembre 2021

Visitez une exposition invisible avec Prune Nourry


Madame Figaro - septembre 2021

L'art de toucher juste

Le Figaro - janvier 2021

Prune Nourry, une amazone qui tire ses flèches au bon marché

Valérie Duponchelle


Beaux Arts Magazine - décembre 2020

Catharsis au coeur des rayons

Daphné Bétard

Le Figaro - octobre 2019

Serendipity : créer, c'est guérir un peu

Benjamin Puech


Le Monde - octobre 2019

Prune Nourry nourrit sa créativité de sa maladie

Clarisse Fabre

Cheek Magazine - octobre 2019

Prune Nourry

Sophie Peyrard

Les Echos Week-End - octobre 2019

Prune Nourry

Adrien Gombeaud


Transfuge - octobre 2019

"Tout est lié à l'idée de catharsis"

Damien Aubel

Inrap - septembre 2019

Catharsis : une rencontre entre art et archéologie

Valérie Delattre

Transfuge.fr - septembre 2019

Prune Nourry, mythe et maladie


Madame Figaro - août 2019

Prune Nourry : corps et âme

Elle - août 2019

Prune Nourry

Soline Delos

Le 1 - juin 2019

les aiguilles de l'équilibre

Manon Paulic


Women & Hollywood - février 2019

Berlinale 2019 Women Directors : Meet Prune Nourry - "Serendipity"

Laura Berger

Vogue.com - juin 2018

The Amazon arrives at the Standard, High Line in New York

Alessandra Codinha


Standard - juin 2018

Prune Nourry's Triumphant Warrior Woman , The Amazon

Alex Waxman

New York Times - juin 2018

A Catharsis Sculpture

Melena Ryzik

LeMonde.fr - août 2017

Prune Nourry et son armée de fillettes envahissent Guimet

Sylvie Kerviel


LesInrocks.com - juillet 2017

Une armée féminine envahit le Musée Guimet

Sara Guenin

La Gazette Drouot - mai 2017

Prune Nourry, le retour de la fille prodige

Alain Quemin

Télérama - avril 2017

Les obsessions fascinantes de Prune Nourry

Sabrina Silamo


Madame Figaro - avril 2017

Prune Nourry artiste hors cadre

Valery de Buchet

Arts Libre (La Libre Belgique) - février 2017

Les archéologies actuelles de Prune Nourry

Roger Pierre Turine

Beaux Arts Magazine - février 2017

Les étranges mythologies sociales et futuristes de Prune Nourry

Judicaël Lavrador


Le Vif l'Express - janvier 2017

Armée de terre

Aliénor Debrocq

Connaissance des Arts - mai 2014

Prune Nourry, la va-t-en-guerre

Elisabeth Vedrenne

Libération - avril 2014

L'armée des jamais-nées

Dominique Poiret


New York Times - octobre 2013

Terra-cotta Warriors Get a Sex Change

Austin Ramzy

News

Prune Nourry
SOLO SHOW – STATUES ALSO BREATHE

Art Twenty One, Lagos
Through February 4, 2023

A collaborative exhibition “Statues Also Breathe” just opened at Art Twenty One in Lagos, Nigeria, unveiling a major project honoring the Chibok girls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram from their high school in Northern Nigeria in 2014 — many of whom are still missing. The project comprises 108 portraits in clay, modeled after the missing girls imaged in the style of iconic ancestral Ife heads.

Prune Nourry
INSTALLATION – NUIT BLANCHE

French National Assembly, Paris
On October 1, 2022

On the occasion of the Nuit Blanche, October 1, 2022, the work Atys #1 by Prune Nourry will be visible in the Cour d’honneur of the Palais-Bourbon of the French National Assembly, from 8pm to 1:30am. Free entrance without registration at 126 rue de l’Université, 75007 Paris.

Prune Nourry
INSTALLATION – L’AMAZONE éROGèNE 

Royal Museums of Fine Arts, Belgium
From October 14, 2022 to February 12, 2023

From October onwards, the Great Hall of the Royal Museums will host a monumental work by the multidisciplinary artist Prune Nourry, a rising figure in international contemporary art. L’Amazone érogène, shown for the first time at the Bon Marché rive gauche Paris in 2021, is a work directly linked to her personal fight against breast cancer and is inspired by the mythological figure of the Amazons. 

Prune Nourry
GROUP SHOW – METTRE AU MONDE 

Prune Nourry - Mettre au Monde
L’Artsenal, Dreux
From June 23 to January 8, 2023 

“Mettre au monde” questions the complex interaction between creation, begetting, public and private spheres, intimacy and extimacy while questioning the tenuous balance between these worlds in the life of an artist, parent, active and independent evolving notably in the field of visual arts still too little structured in the social support of its actors. The exhibition “Mettre au monde” (Bringing into the world) was created by the curators Amélie Adamo and Lucile Hitier. It supports a selection of artists who have – at some point in their lives – dedicated their work to their family, their child, to the inhabited body, to the nurturing body or to the artistic practice of four hands.

Prune Nourry
L’AMAZONE ÉROGÈNE – SOLO SHOW

From January 9 to February 21, 2021
Le Bon Marché , 24 rue de Sèvres, 75007 Paris

In January and February 2021, Prune Nourry invests the vast spaces of the Bon Marché Rive Gauche with a set of works created specifically for this carte blanche and thought in relation to the unique architecture of the place. The installation L’Amazone Érogène extends the Catharsis series in which the figure of the Amazon appeared by allowing the artist to experiment an unprecedented scale, thanks in particular to the vast volumes offered by the department store.

Prune Nourry
SERENDIPITY, A DOCUMENTARY FILM BY PRUNE NOURRY, SOON IN CINEMAS

PRUNE NOURRYOctober – November 2019, Serendipity - Documentary

Prune Nourry’s documentary film Serendipity will soon be in cinemas in France and the United States. Serendipity, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, was also presented at MoMa Doc Fortnight, at TriBeca Film Festival and ArtBasel – Film Section 2019. The film has received the support of notable women who have faced severe diseases, including Angelina Jolie who acts as Executive Producer. Serendipity is about random coincidences that started to coalesce in Prune Nourry’s art and life. While Prune Nourry has spent her entire working life exploring issues around the human body, she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 31. She turns then her medical odyssey into an epic artistic adventure.

Prune Nourry
DAUGHTERS – SOLO SHOW

CHÂTEAU MALROMÉ, SAINT-ANDRÉ-DU-BOIS, FRANCE, FRANCE From 29/06/2019 to 10/11/2019

Château Malromé is pleased to welcome in its walls, during this summer 2019, about twenty works of Prune Nourry previously exhibited from Spring to Autumn 2017 at the Guimet Museum (Paris). In this series of works, Prune Nourry has seized upon a problem particular to Indian and Chinese societies, the disappearance of a whole age-class of little girls caused by the use of prenatal predictive medical techniques in favor of boys. These sculptures, in a new scenography of Benjamin Gabrié, find new echoes in Malromé, family home of Toulouse-Lautrec. Curator : Richard Leydier

Prune Nourry
BêTES DE SCèNE – GROUP SHOW

FONDATION VILLA DATRIS, ISLE SUR LA SORGUE, FRANCE From 31/05/2019 to 03/11/2019

For its ninth exhibition, the Villa Datris Foundation questions through contemporary sculpture, the relationship between humans and animals. With seriousness, humor or derision, the works presented reveal sensitive images of animals. The exhibition also celebrates their beauty, the fluidity of their bodies or the extravagance of their feathers. 78 artists and 110 works will be exhibited in the villa and its gardens.