XAVIER VEILHAN

Aboard the Outremer 5X catamaran—a wind-powered vessel made from 50% flax fiber—Veilhan, his team, and his works will cross the Atlantic Ocean, departing from Concarneau, Brittany, France, and arriving at the port of Santos, Brazil. The artist will develop part of the works during the trip and complete them in São Paulo, where they will be presented to the public at Nara Roesler São Paulo, from November 8, 2025, to January 31, 2026. “I want to further develop this initiative of a floating studio and wind-powered transportation for some of my upcoming exhibitions. The goal is to create new imaginaries and offer an alternative to the pressures and frenetic pace of the art world: international fairs and exhibitions consume enormous amounts of energy and prioritize speed,” explains the artist. “The sector needs to adapt to ecological challenges, but it has difficulty doing so while remaining competitive. This project is an experiment, an attempt—which has value as a work of art in itself,” he adds. For this expedition, the artist will be accompanied by Roland Jourdain, award-winning sailor and co-founder of the Fondation Explore; Denis Juhel, assistant captain; Matthias Colin, oceanographer, who will be on board for research purposes; Antoine Veilhan, the artist’s son, who specializes in carpentry and nautical joinery; and Carmen Panfiloff, sculpture and joinery assistant.