CREATURESOF HABIT

SARAH LEVY

Sarah Levy captures our quirks in a range of accessories borrowing from leatherwork and glove-making techniques. Under the Belgian designer’s gaze, the usual gesture freezes into an obsession. The useful is morphed into a fetish and the userinto her worshipper.

Conceived in collaboration with Mathieu Berger (sociologist), Creatures Of Habit reveals the tragicomic aesthetics of contemporary lifestyles characterised byincreased resources and reduced meaning; those lifestyles by which the living are commodified and seen as objects. The characters portrayed by Benoît Béthume (photographer and artistic director) embody some of the new social archetypes generated by these lifestyles, both captivated by and captive of the accessory.

Creatures of Habit

This MAD Windows is an opportunity for a new interpretation of Creatures Of Habit. Taking the collaboration even further, Levy, Berger and Béthume are looking beyond isolated charachters : their creatures are now gathered together, revealing their disturbing sociability. What unlikely community could arise from the association of one-dimensional, co-isolated and self-absorbed beings ? The staging and the related text are designed as a mythological pastiche, reminding the archaism of these matters : the human as a creature, man reduced to animal by his misguided ways, and the impoverishment of the world in which he takes part.

Creatures Of Habit is a project initiated in 2018 as part of the Accessories master’s degree of La Cambre École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels, which has benefited from the expertise of the leather artisan Annoula Casale and the glove maker Lavabre-Cadet. It has since earned Sarah Levy the 2018 Prix Artagagon, 2019 Hyères Prix du Public and a nomination for the 2019 Belgian Fashion Awards, «Emerging Talent» category.

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Creatures of Habit

Sarah Levy

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Creatures of Habit

Do you not see that a man’s habits are both his genius and his demon? Without habits, there is nothing to support a gesture or thought, nothing to allow the elaboration of life. Yet, it is also by habit that evil grows and that death settles in.

‘How will I inhabit the world? What can sustain me in this life?’ was everyman’s concern in the beginning. Each one was offered a share of attributes. While the multitude rushed to receive their lot of sundry items and soon became satiated, the proud wondered at length and chose just one good in exchange for all the others. They expected this rare feature to bring them a distinct, unique and extraordinary life.

They brandished their special quality and proclaimed to the world: ‘This is who I am!’ To which the King of the gods acquiesced: ‘All you are, that shall be. And nothing more. For to my ears, special and unique are other words for idiot.’

Sarah Levy

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Creatures of Habit

The Supreme One took offense at their insolence. Avenger of audacious thoughts and immoderate minds, he meted out a terrible justice. The attribute by which the proud wished to shine was sewn into their flesh, to become the instrument of their ordeal. These men and women had seen themselves as captains of their souls, governors of their lives. The wrathful god turned their existence into a pale outgrowth of their treasured good.

For these vain souls, stupor gave way to acceptance and habituation : they had no choice but to travel through a mutilated life. Their choice piece, once exhibited with pride and jubilation, had now become the centre of a narrow world and a narcotic passion. Anesthetized, self-contained creatures, they were condemned to exist, without ever being.

Doomed as they were, they nonetheless appeared perfectly beautiful and happy in the eyes of those unable to discern a life worth living.

Sarah Levy

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Creatures of Habit

Sarah Levy

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Creatures of Habit

THE ATTRIBUTE BY WHICH THE PROUD WISHED TO SHINE WAS

SEWN INTO THEIR FLESH, TO BECOME THE INSTRUMENT OF THEIR ORDEAL.

Sarah Levy

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Creatures of Habit

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Sarah Levy

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Creatures of Habit

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FOR THESE VAIN SOULS,

STUPOR GAVE WAY TO ACCEPTANCE

AND HABITUATION: THEY HAD

NO CHOICE BUT TO TRAVEL THROUGH

A MUTILATED LIFE.

Sarah Levy

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Creatures of Habit

Sarah Levy

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Creatures of Habit

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Sarah Levy

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Creatures of Habit

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DOOMED AS THEY WERE, THEY NONETHELESS APPEARED

PERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL AND HAPPY IN THE EYES OF THOSE

UNABLE TO DISCERNA LIFE WORTH LIVING

Sarah Levy

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Creatures of Habit

Sarah Levy

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Creatures of Habit

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Creatures of Habit

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Creatures of Habit

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Loose elbow length glove that features a variety of utility pockets and loops. It is the only model of the U.G. serie which is worn in pair. Dark green lambskin — 50cm x 15cm

U.G.02 — 12

Short glove extended to an E-cigarette leather caseBlack lambskin — 100 cm x 30 cm

P.B.01 — 16

Dog bag composed of a fully adjustable harness reinforced to provide optimum comfort for the dog. The top handle allows carrying the dog by hand. It can also be worn on the shoulder thanks to the leash used as a shoulder strap.Black lambskin — Bag dimensions l : 25 cm / Chest size 23 - 33 cmLeash / shoulder strap dimensions l : 100 cm

U.G.07 — 08

Baby carrier composed of a cushion, a beltbag and a detachable wide padded waist belt. Mimicking the way babies are hold, the cushion can be worn on the side or in the front of the bodyBlack lambskin — 15 cm x 20 cm

B.B.02 — 14

Belt bag with adjustable waist belt featuring a large zipper pocket.Turquoise lambskin — Waist size : 80 - 88 cm — Height : 30 cm

U.G.01 — 11

Loose shoulder length glove extended to an IphoneX leather case. The thumb has touchscreen capabilities. Ivory lambskin — 100 cm x 30 cm

B.B.01 — 15

Chest bag with adjustable shoulder and back belt featuring a large zipper pocket.Red lambskin — Bust size : 78 - 86 cm — Height : 30 - 35 cm

Creatures of Habit

Creatures of Habit’s narrative was freely adapted fromfragments of classic greek texts (Hesiod, Herodotus, Heraclitus, Plato and Aristotle) dealing with « ethos » (habits, lifestyle),« hubris » (human vanity) and « nemesis » (divine punishment).

MAD, Home of Creators co-produced together with accessory designer Sarah Levy its new MAD Windows, ‘Creatures of Habit’, presenting a collection of leather artifacts materialising contemporary habits in the form of accessories. The project resulted from a constant dialogue with sociologist Mathieu Berger. In a later stage Benoît Béthume joined the collaboration, adding his artistic direction and creative mindset to reinforce Sarah’s portfolio and practice. We had a talk with these three complementary creatives about their role and involvement in ‘Creatures of Habit’, other projects and their main inspirations.

INTERVIEWS

What is your work about? How would you describe it?

Creatures of Habit is a collection of leather artifacts ma-terialising contemporary habits in the form of accesso-ries. These accessories are voluntary hybrid “solutions” making the body oscillate between increased capacity and incapacity, between freedom and congestion.

Where did that desire come from, to work in design?

I originally started off as an architect. During my PHD on urban planning, I was invited to study at Parsons School of Design in New York. There, I came across two jewellers who invited me into the accessory world and the crafts-manship behind it. I subscribed in the jewellery course at Arts et Métiers in Brussels while at the same time fi-nishing my PHD. Not long after, the accessories section of La Cambre opened and I didn’t hesitate to jump in. I would say that designing accessories is my way of ex-pression.

Can you talk to us about your approach in general? How could we imagine your usual work process?

I have a different approach when it comes to working on my own collection or working/creating for other fashion brands. For my own collection, I start working on a narrative before I even think about the objects. During this part of the process I communicate a lot with Mathieu Berger on the meaning of words, forms, objects, ... This creative exchange leads very naturally towards a concept and defined objects.I look at ac-cessories in a broad sense. They can be either leather goods, gloves or jewellery.

Each accessory needs craftsmen whose know-how allows me to carry out their realization. In a later stage a new dialogue starts with Benoît Béthume. He translates the story behind the pieces in pictures or in installations like the one we will present in the MAD Windows.

When collaborating with other fashion brands, there are often constraints to work with. This could be a technique, a mate-rial or a subject. I find those constraints actually very benefi-cial and liberating in the design process. It makes you see and create differently.

What keeps you creatively moving forward?

I like the idea to present a specific look on situations: An ana-lytical, airy and amusing one.

Tell us about developing new products. Are you designing for today or for future use?

The idea behind Creatures of Habit was to translate, through accessories, our contemporary habits. I reflected on those everyday objects that have become our new fetishes: the smartphone, the electronic cigarette…Objects that have created new gestures. The expression Creatures of Habit re-fers to the addictive nature of these habits. My goal is not to criticise these addictions but to accompany them with nearly orthopaedic devices.

Finally, what projects are you currently working on?

I will continue working with Mathieu and Benoît on Creatures of Habit. Some of the pieces will be developed shortly. I also have the pleasure to collaborate on the accessories collec-tion of two fashion designers I admire, Marine Serre and Ester Manas.

SARAH LEVY

Could you describe yourself, your background and what you do today?

I am a sociology professor at UCLouvain, affiliated to EHESS Paris, doing research on urban studies, sociolo-gy of communication and social semiotics. I am also the coordinator of a laboratory for applied urban research based in Brussels : Metrolab. In the framework of Metro-lab, I developed an interest in experimenting with media, beyond the textual medium : diagrams, maps, photogra-phy, and now scenography and objects.

How has Brussels shaped your professional activities/projects?

Brussels is an intricate city, a place that requires and sti-mulates interdisciplinary collaborations and invites to explore other professional microcosms, other forms of intelligence. I’ve had the chance to work with all kinds of people : architects, urban-planners, economists, pho-tographers, designers... These collaborations transfor-med my whole activity as a sociologist, by encouraging me to leave my comfort zone to start communicating and working with people having radically different back-grounds, perspectives, skills and vocabularies.

Could you tell us about your involvement in the project “Creatures of Habit”? How does the creative exchange work between you and Sarah?

Sarah and I have a «habit» of communicating a lot about our respective projects. My involvement in her work depends on the project. For «Creatures of Habit», she asked me to bring conceptual insights, elements of language, but also critical inputs on the design itself. Sarah is a researcher above all ; her projects have to be meaningful. Our creative exchange takes shape through a constant dialogue on the meaning of words, acts, forms, objects... Throughout this project I met Benoît Béthume whose photographs and aesthetic imagination im-pressed me. He instantly imagined a scenography that wor-ked perfectly. Attuned to his visual ideas, I wrote a narrative that completes the installation.

Did you collaborate on other design projectsfrom your perspective as a sociologist?

I participated as a sociologist in various projects of urban de-sign in Brussels. Recently with Metrolab, we created an ope-rational concept («inclusive enclaves») that is now used at the regional level for the design of public interiors and social infrastructures. I’m also part of a group called ARCH (Action

Research Collective for Hospitality), engaged in the design of hospitable places for migrant people in Brussels. On a cultural level, I participated as a sociologist in the curation of the Bel-gian Pavillon («Interiors») for the Venice Architecture Bien-nale 2014 and of the exhibition «Operational Aesthetics» at CIVA (2019). I’m not sure about fashion per se, but I would be interested to collaborate on projects with an aesthetic di-mension, more generally. I hope that Creatures of Habit shows something that has as much to do with art and social critique than with fashion accessories.

Can you tell us a little on what projects you are currently working on?

This year, I am mainly working on a book based on years of eth-nographic fieldwork in Los Angeles. I am trying to describe the madness of this city and the ways an inhumane and hermetic environment shapes people’s minds and lives. One could see commonalities between this project and Creatures of Habit : social pathologies, disconnection among people, insanity...

MATHIEU BERGER

First of all, could you introduce yourself?

I’m an art director and consultant for several brands and focus mainly on DNA and global image building.

How are you involved in the project ‘Creatures of Habit’?

Sarah and I met at La Cambre during my workshop on ‘how to build a strong brand image’. She showed me her sketches and explained the concept behind it. We im-mediately felt a creative common interest. Intrigued by Creatures of Habit I suggested to take pictures for her portfolio. Once this was set, we worked together on the casting and styling process in building/ the positioning of the “creatures”.

Can you tell us a little about any stand-out projects?

Working as a consultant for Marine Serre has been a fascina-ting adventure throughout the evolution of the brand. Nowa-days she’s reflecting on how fashion can find its place in to-day’s world and what it should stand for. Besides that, the next issue of Mémoire Universelle, the bookazine I launched a few years ago, is on its way. This month we will organize a conference and screening in the Gucci museum in Firenze where we tackle subjects such as the future of publication and printing. Lastly, I’m also wor-king on a new magazine about erotism - stay tuned!

How could we imagine your usual work process?

As a consultant I’m usually involved in the creative process of the respective brand/designer. We have a constant dialogue about the strengths and values of the brand. It is key to main-tain a strongly rooted storytelling throughout the different sea-sons. I jump in when it comes to spreading strong messages and creating content for new catalogues or showrooms. My usual creative process starts off with a thorough image and fashion sourcing, followed by styling sessions and image buil-ding.

Which Belgian artists do you follow, look at for inspiration?Michaël Borremans definitely inspires me. Just look how he’s constantly challenging the traditional view of realism and translates this into contemporary work. The most striking aspect of the Belgian art scene is its great artistic diversity. Belgian artists share a unique spirit, they create conceptual work with a touch of humour.

Finally, what’s your latest artistic discovery?

I recently visited Tate Modern and fell in love with these old se-ries of photos about Elizabeth Taylor’s empty mansion, shot by Catherine Opie. The pictures were so touching and subtle, a poignant view on how to describe someone by its absence.

BENOÎT BÉTHUME

Sarah Levy exhibe nos manies dans une gamme d’accessoires empruntant aux techniques de la maroquinerie et de la ganterie. Sous le regard de la créatrice belge, le geste usuel se fige en une obsession. L’utilitaire devient fétiche et l’utilisateur, sa créature.

Conçu en dialogue avec Mathieu Berger (sociologue), Creatures of Habit révèle l’esthétique tragicomique de modes de vie contemporains caractérisés par l’augmentation des moyens et la réduction du sens ; ces modes de vie par lequel le vivant se fige et se saisit comme une chose. Les personnages mis en scène et en image par Benoît Béthume (photographe et directeur artistique) incarnent ces nouveaux archétypes sociaux, à la fois captivés par et captifs de l’accessoire.

Cette MAD Windows est l’occasion d’une nouvelle interprétation de Creatures of Habit. Portant la collaboration quelques pas plus loin, Levy, Berger et Béthume ne s’intéressent plus seulement à l’apparition de sujets isolés, mais à leur comparution et à leur inquiétante sociabilité. Quelle improbable communauté peut bien surgir du rassemblement de créatures uni-dimensionnelles, co-isolées et auto-absorbées? La scène et les textes qui l’accompagnent sont conçus comme un pastiche mythologique, rappelant l’archaïsme de ces questions : l’homme-créature, l’homme réduit à l’animal par une vie d’errements, l’appauvrissement du monde auquel il participe.

Creatures Of Habit est un projet initié en 2018 dans le cadre du Master Accessoires de l’École nationale supérieure des arts visuels de La Cambre, qui a bénéficié du savoir-faire de l’artisan maroquinier Annoula Casale et de la ganterie Lavabre-Cadet. Poursuivi depuis, il a vallu à Sarah Levy de remporter le Prix Artagagon 2018, le Prix du Public et de la ville de Hyères 2019 et d’être nominée pour les Belgian Fashion Awards 2019, catégorie «Emerging Talent».

FR . Introduction

Ne vois-tu pas que l’habitude d’un homme est son génie et son démon ? Sans l’habitude, il n’est rien qui soutienne le geste ou la pensée, rien qui permette l’élaboration de la vie. C’est cependant par l’habitude aussi que le mal grandit et que la mort s’installe.

« Comment donc vais-je habiter le monde? Sur quoi pourrai-je m’appuyer dans cette vie ? », s’inquiète tout homme au commencement. Chacun se voit proposer sa part d’attributs. Quand la multitude se précipite pour recevoir son lot de valeurs quelconques et s’en rassasier, les fiers s’interrogent longuement et choisissent un seul bien en échange de tous les autres. Ils attendent de ce bien rare une vie distincte, unique et extraordinaire.

Ils veulent brandir leur qualité spéciale et dire au monde : « Ça, c’est tout moi ! » Et le Roi des dieux d’acquiescer : « C’est tout toi, tout et rien de plus. Car, à mes yeux, spécial et unique sont d’autres mots pour idiot ».

L’Être suprême prit offense de leur audace. Vengeur désigné des pensées trop superbes, il s’en fait rendre de terribles comptes. L’attribut par lequel les fiers entendent briller est cousu dans leur chair, il devient l’instrument de leur supplice. Ils se voyaient capitaines de leur âme, gouverneurs de leur vie. Le dieu courroucé fait de leur existence une pâle excroissance du bien chéri.

Chez le vaniteux, la stupeur fait place à l’acceptation : il lui reste à traverser cette vie mutilée. La pièce maîtresse, hier exhibée avec légèreté et jubilation, devient le centre d’un monde étroit et d’une passion narcotique. Créatures anesthésiées et homéostatiques, ils sont condamnés à exister sans jamais être.

Au moins apparaissent-ils parfaitement beaux et heureux — tout infectés qu’ils sont — aux yeux de ceux incapables de discerner une vie décente.

FR . Creaturesof Habit

Sarah Levy legt onze eigenaardigheden vast in een reeks accessoires gemaakt van lederwaren, via handschoenproductietechnieken. Onder het alziend oog van de Belgische ontwerpster verandert het vertrouwde in een obsessie. Het praktische wordt eerbiedig en de gebruiker wordt een schepsel.

Creatures of Habit is ontstaan in dialoog met Mathieu Berger (socioloog) en onthult de tragikomische esthetiek van hedendaagse leefwijzen die worden gekenmerkt door een toename van middelen en afname van zingeving; leefwijzen waarbij mensen worden gecommercialiseerd en gezien als objecten. De door Benoît Bethume (fotograaf en artistiek directeur) geënsceneerde en afgebeelde figuren belichamen deze nieuwe sociale archetypes die tegelijkertijd gefascineerd als gevangen zijn door accessoires.

Dit MAD Windows is een kans voor een nieuwe interpretatie van Creatures of Habit Levy, Berger en Béthume kijken verder dan de opkomst van geïsoleerde onderwerpen door ook hun representatie en verontrustende sociale interactie te tonen. Welke onwaarschijnlijke samenleving zou er ontstaan vanuit de associatie van eendimensionale, co-geïsoleerde en zelfgeabsorbeerde wezens? De bijhorende teksten en scenografie zijn ontworpen als een mythologische pastiche, die herinnert aan het archaïsme van de mens als schepsel, de mens gereduceerd tot een dier, en het koude geweld van de wereld waarin hij bestaat.

Creatures of Habit is een project dat in 2018 werd gestart in het kader van de Master Accessoires van de École nationale supérieure des arts visuels de La Cambre, met de deskundige inbreng van ambachtelijk lederbewerkster Annoula Casale en handschoenenfabrikant Lavabre-Cadet. Sedertdien werd het project voortgezet en werd Sarah Levy bekroond met de Prix Artagagon 2018, de Prix du Public et de la ville de Hyères 2019 en werd ze ook nog genomineerd voor de Belgian Fashion Awards 2019, categorie «Emerging Talent».

NL . Inleiding

Zie je niet dat de gewoonten van een mens zowel zijn engelbewaarder als zijn demon zijn? Zonder gewoonten is er niets om een gebaar of gedachte te ondersteunen, niets om de ontwikkeling van het leven mogelijk te maken. Maar gewoonten zorgen er ook voor dat het kwaad toeneemt en de dood zijn intrede doet.

“Hoe kan ik de wereld bewonen? Wat kan mij staande houden in dit leven?” Dat waren ieders zorgen in het begin. Iedereen kreeg een aantal eigenschappen. Terwijl de menigte zich haastte om haar aandeel in diverse goederen te ontvangen en weldra verzadigd raakte, bleven de hoogmoedigen lang benieuwd en kozen zij slechts één goed in ruil voor alle andere. Zij verwachtten dat deze zeldzame eigenschap hun een apart, uniek en buitengewoon leven zou bezorgen.

Ze zwaaiden met hun bijzondere eigenschap en verkondigden tegenover de wereld: “Dit is wie ik ben!” En de koning der goden stemde daarmee in: “Alles wat jullie zijn, zal zijn. En niet meer dan dat. Want voor mij zijn bijzonder en uniek slechts andere woorden voor idioot.”De Allerhoogste nam aanstoot aan hun onbeschaamdheid. Als wreker van gewaagde gedachten en onmatige geesten sprak hij een vreselijk vonnis uit. De eigenschap waarmee de hoogmoedigen wilden schitteren, werd in hun vlees genaaid om het instrument van hun beproeving te worden. Deze mannen en vrouwen hadden zichzelf als gezagvoerders van hun zielen, als bestuurders van hun leven beschouwd. De toornige god veranderde hun bestaan in een fletse uitwas van hun gekoesterde goed. Voor deze ijdele zielen maakte de verbijstering plaats voor aanvaarding en gewenning. Ze hadden geen andere keuze dan door een verminkt leven te reizen. Hun gekozen eigenschap – die ze ooit vol trots en gejuich hadden getoond – was nu het middelpunt van een kleine wereld en een bedwelmende passie. Als verdoofde, autonome wezens waren ze veroordeeld om te bestaan, zonder ooit te zijn.

Ook al waren ze gedoemd, toch leken ze volmaakt mooi en gelukkig in de ogen van degenen die het leven niet kunnen zien als iets wat de moeite waard is om geleefd te worden.

NL . Creaturesof Habit

Many thanks to Agathe, Nils, Yenci, the MAD team, ulie, Silvia, Jack, Dodo, and Mathilde.

MAD Studio is the creative core of MAD, Home of Creators. A place within the institution where events and communication expertise merged to offer a 360° experience to all MAD’s beneficiaries and to transform the HQ located downtown Brussels in a fantastic tool dedicated to professionals and the general public. MAD Studio is: Eline, Fabian, Julie, Kaat, Lenie, Silvia & Tamara