Sans titre (brouillon)

draft letters, ashes, PVC boxes, 18 x 8 cm each box

Upon his arrival in France, Pedro Pereira sent—in French that was still somewhat rudimentary—numerous cover letters and résumés to companies and institutions. Despite his background and higher education, all of his applications resulted in rejections. Untitled features 24 drafts of job application letters, and beneath each frame is a small Plexiglas box containing the ashes of the reply letter.

In this work, the artist explores the job search as a common experience familiar to many, but above all, the heightened difficulty it poses for a foreigner. Beyond that, he also highlights the challenges of integration and socialization when they do not occur through work. This situation highlights a paradox, as described by Yves Michaud: “Even when we live a life of displacement, we cannot be from nowhere… in a world where powerful forces of uprooting and cultural mixing coexist with forces of putting down roots that are still very real.”*

Alexandra Gillet