L'Atelier Chimérique

An engraver's studio

L'Atelier Chimérique is the working and exhibition space of Latifa Bermès, a visual artist and engraver. Her work draws on nature and poetry, unfolding in prints, monotypes, inks and paintings. The place also hosts the work of guest or resident artists. To step inside is to see the printed image not as a finished product on the wall but as the fruit of a patient gesture and craft.

The craft of intaglio

The heart of the place is engraving in its most demanding tradition: etching, aquatint, mezzotint, drypoint, monotype… so many age-old techniques the studio keeps alive, marrying them to contemporary approaches to the printed image. This vocabulary, often little known to the public, makes full sense on site, before the works, where you grasp the link between the engraved plate and the proof pulled onto the paper.

Planning your visit

The studio is in old Metz, a stone's throw from the town-centre shopping streets. As it's a small place run by one artist, hours are limited and can vary: it's best to check the current display and confirm opening before dropping by, perhaps letting them know you're coming. The visit is short but offers a rare closeness to the works, at studio scale, often with the engraver present.

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