I am a visual artist, a sailor and a documentary filmmaker based in Amsterdam. I studied Art History (Tours), graduated from the documentary department at cinema school ESEC (Paris), the Master of Film at the Film Academy Amsterdam (2016) and the Enkhuizen Zeevaart School (KZV 2023). My recent works are engaged with the issues of contemporary migration policies. My research focuses especially on the problematic friction between the urge to migrate and established state borders. I attempt to develop specific tactics which counteract the inequality in the access to mobility. Although each project I work on is tailored to the community and environment in which it takes place, my general principle remains to create a subversive momentum by using an utopic storyline. My endeavours aim to create social and/or political change through sustaining long-term relationships with individuals and communities. Above all, I shall mention that I have a passion for sailing and that experience feeds my artistic practice to a large extent. When I am sailing, I create a balance between the sea, the wind direction and the boat. When faced with the unfamiliar and threatening element, I cannot sail against those given factors but need to cope with the “here and now”. And this is what happens with my work, by crossing borders and interacting with different charts I navigate constantly in-between new currents, flux and unknown territories.
At the moment I am developing the game design and script of a navigation video game in collaboration with the studio Nice Penguins and with the support of the Centre National de la Cinématographie and the Stimulering Fonds Creative Industrie. Moreover I am Artist in Residence at the community workshop Buurtwerkplaats Noorderhof in Amsterdam Nieuw West where I work on the ongoing social project Harbour of Action, a project supported by the Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst, Prins Bernhardt fonds and Stichting Stokroos.
I am also the co-founder of the Foundation Idées Clandestines. This foundation has for ambition to support and develop artist’s talent with a special focus on interdisciplinary public space works with local community.
For more information @olivierdelebecque or come visit me at my studio in Plantage Dok.
Email: olivier.delebecque@gmail.com