Jérémy Chevalier

Biography

Jérémy Chevalier (*1983, Ambilly, FR) lives and works in Geneva, CH. Jérémy Chevalier is an artist working across performance, sound art, and installation. His practice explores questions of stage presence, recording, and the spectacular through handmade devices, repurposed objects, and experimental sound systems. One of the recurring questions in his work is: “Can a recording replace a stage presence?” This theme appears notably in Scratched Record, in which he performs a rendition of a scratched vinyl record.

This reflection gradually led him to investigate notions of archive, trace, and imprint, notably through Concrete Music (vinyl records cast in concrete) and a series of sculptural castings capturing fragile or residual marks. His interest in self-built technologies and science also led him to question the way technologies shape perception, narratives, and gestures, often approached with humor and critical distance. Among his notable works are Chaosphonies (an automated one-man band), Version Bêta (a lecture-performance with a robotic Siamese twin), Release Candidate (a science-popularization performance), and Speaker Prelude, a recent piece featuring a loudspeaker as the main character.

Alongside this practice, he has developed a singular approach to field recording using unconventional recording devices. In Il ne reste plus qu’à danser!, for example, microphone capsules are placed under his shoes, recording the point of contact between the body and the ground, creating an “acoustic geography” of movement and position. Parallel to his visual and sound practice, he also develops a poetic body of work through readings and performances gathered under the evolving project Spirale Névrose.

His work has been presented amongst others at Centre d’Art Contemporain Genève; Le Lieu Unique; Cave12; Festival Belluard Bollwerk International; Sonic Matters Festival; CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel; Chenshia Museum; Zuiun-An (Nishieda Foundation); and in performances and tours across Europe and China.

He has received several grants and awards, including the Bourse du Commun for artistic research (2021) and the FCAC Grant from the Canton of Geneva (2008).

Artist Statement

The work of Jérémy Chevalier combines performance, sound art, and installation. His practice often explores questions of stage presence and the spectacular, drawing on inventions shaped by handmade techniques and the repurposing of objects. His interest in DIY culture and fascination with science gradually led him to question technology, and more specifically the way it shapes our perceptions, narratives, and gestures. These themes are always approached with humor, critical distance, and a sense of detachment.