Blandine Hallé: Quiet Stories of Unity

A photographer and artist jeweller, Blandine Hallé's work explores her emotional, cultural and sensory experiences as a French-Australian, expatriate and migrant

Blandine Hallé

Blandine Hallé is a photographer and artist jeweller who grew up in Paris with French, German and Spanish ancestry. She moved to Western Australia in 1997.

Traversing urban or natural landscape, Hallé collect things – objets trouvés - with her hands, or through her camera lens. Once collected, she brings these objects, and images, into her studio.

Her artwork is a commentary on her emotional, cultural and sensory experiences as a French-Australian, expatriate and migrant.

Francaustralian 2, Blandine Hallé, Photo: Rob Frith, 2020, From the collection of: Museum of Freedom and Tolerance
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Francaustralian 4, Blandine Hallé, Photo: Rob Frith, 2020, From the collection of: Museum of Freedom and Tolerance
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Blandine Hallé (2020) by Blandine HalléMuseum of Freedom and Tolerance

Watch: Blandine Hallé

"I feel a very strong connection connection to the land here. The open skies, the vastness, the eccentricity of the vegetation. It's something you don't get in Europe."

Hallé uses symbols and materiality, seeing “matter as language”.

Hallé incorporates native Australian wood and everyday seeds with the hexagon - a symbol of France - and the circle - a symbol of Australia - to tell a quiet story of unity.

Francaustralian 3 (2020) by Blandine Hallé and Photo: Rob FrithMuseum of Freedom and Tolerance

Francaustralian 3

Jarrah and sheoak wood, copper, stainless steel

“The relationship I have with the environment is similar to the one I have with people, with no hierarchy, each part having an equal place in my heart and mind. There is no ‘you’ and ‘me’ or ‘humans’ and ‘plants’ and ‘animals’. There is only ‘us’. We are all interconnected.” – Blandine Hallé

Francaustralian 1 (2020) by Blandine Hallé and Photo: Rob FrithMuseum of Freedom and Tolerance

Francaustralian 1

Mango seed husk, copper

Francaustralian 5, Blandine Hallé, Photo: Rob Frith, 2020, From the collection of: Museum of Freedom and Tolerance
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Francaustralian 8, Blandine Hallé, Photo: Rob Frith, 2020, From the collection of: Museum of Freedom and Tolerance
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Francaustralian 6, Blandine Hallé, Photo: Rob Frith, 2020, From the collection of: Museum of Freedom and Tolerance
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Francaustralian 7, Blandine Hallé, Photo: Rob Frith, 2020, From the collection of: Museum of Freedom and Tolerance
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About the Connexions Exhibit

Organised by Blandine Hallé and Melissa Cameron, Connexions came from a desire to share contemporary Australian jewellery with the world.

This became augmented by what Hallé and Cameron wanted to share about Australia, versus what was at the forefront of the news media at the time; namely the Christchurch Massacres, perpetrated by an Australian.

Selected for their existing contribution to this dialogue, each artist mines and interrogates their own histories for their artwork. Together, the complex, nuanced and diverse works portray Australia as a community that respects difference and honours diversity and complexity, more effectively than any single dialogue in which we might hope to engage could.

Credits: Story

All works by Blandine Hallé for Connexions Exhibition at Galerie Assemblages, 13 - 31 October 2020. All photographs by Rob Frith. Words by Laura Deakin and Melissa Cameron.

Header Image: “Francaustralian 1” (2020) by Blandine Hallé, photographed by Rob Frith. (Neckpiece; mango seed husk, copper.)


Short Films by VAM Media

Filming & Production: Brendan Hutchens

Additional Filming (in Torres Strait): Lola Digital
Post Production: Steven Alyian

Music: Envelope

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.