Meet The Tenant Paris, France
Written By Jenny Davis
The Meet the Tenant Project - The Dungeon Paris. 2007/10
Art, for me, is a journey through time and space, a dialogue with the echoes of the past. Over the past three months, I have immersed myself in the vibrant yet haunting realm of Paris, France, where the past and present converge.
The Meet the Tenant Project, which began in the subterranean depths of an apartment block in Asnieres sur Seine, in 2007 and has evolved into an ongoing exploration of memory, presence, and the stories that linger in forgotten places. In this project, I have come to refer to the underground space as "The Dungeon," a metaphorical and literal dwelling that houses the shadows of bygone lives.
It is within these walls that I created a multitude of images, videos, installations & drawings—each fragment a testament to the past. My initial encounters with this hidden world compelled me to capture the essence of those transient moments, daily. I took all this research back to my studio in Australia and have been working on the project ever since. I have since, published a book, and edited all the videos into an 19 min. experimental piece and made prints. I developed a story-line for a film which keeps changing, and created a proposal to be performed.
Returning to Paris in 2010, I found myself in a constant state of flux, grappling with the unresolved nature of this project. The proposal for an immersive experience—living underground for a week, documenting the ephemeral—serves as a reminder that art is not merely about the final product but about the journey and the interactions that shape it. Even when faced with challenges, such as the unforgiving cold that forced the cancellation of the performance, I remain committed to uncovering and sharing the stories hidden beneath the surface.
The Meet the Tenant Project, is an exploration of the human experience—of the connections we make, the spaces we inhabit, and the unseen narratives that shape our lives. It is an invitation to embrace the unknown and to recognise that the essence of art lies not in resolution but in the ongoing quest for understanding and expression.
Meet the Tenant Video
Proposal No.1 - Performance - Jenny Davis 2010
Go to Paris from Australia & live in an underground space for 7 days and document everything that happens with video, photographs, drawings, whatever. All things created become yours. You will own the experience, everything, including my clothes, shoes, food containers ,implements etc...I will deliver them to you. The art piece is... The whole experience.... you can do with it what you want
(Due to sub zero temps. on arriving in Paris this project was canceled and may be performed at a later date)
Excerpt from Jenny Davis Diary 2008
The Dungeon The space underneath an apartment block in Paris. It’s damp, smelly and creepy with dark corridors, full of earth walls with red wooden doors. The lights are on a timer and go out every minute, so you can be stuck in a very unearthly dark abyss, if you don’t press one of the buttons on the wall quick enough. I have devised a way to stop them turning off and over the years, I have become more brave and allow myself to connect to the dark hole, for longer periods. Eventually I want to open the space and show my video and photography down there. I also have ideas of a performance in the space.”