EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT

(2019, silkscreen on aluminium)

for all the broken works

mail conversation: Yuna Mathieu-chovet, Céline Butaye

subject: Re: exhibitions, see pdf / (black) is just an indication, no title

25 September 2016, 12:38

Hello Céline,
I tried to call you by phone because yesterday at the gallery lemon jet broke… :-(I wanted to tell you this on the phone and not by text or mail because this is such an awful new… Then I tried to answer your text but it did not succeed in sending, so i send you this email.I feel so sad and mad about it!! … :-( …

What happened is that I opened both doors in order to get some fresh air in the gallery, because when we did it at the opening nothing bad happened, I was confident, then… like in my worst nightmares the door slammed violently because of the wind. Despite I run to hold it, all the windows shook making the big dispersion :R, the gold one fell (fortunately this one did not broke). But while falling it made lemon jet fall too… And lemon jet broke … :-( … !!!  in 2 pieces ( around 2/3-1/3).I am very very sorry about this this because i love lemon jet so much and i know how long you took to make such a beautiful work. And I also know that this is a unique piece that had a very special shape due to the drying process at the sun and that you cannot redo it… I’m sorry also because it costed you money… I am very shocked and sad, it is also the first time that something bad happened to a work of a guest artist in my gallery. I am specially touched because i specially love your work and you too… I remember being afraid works could slip but now it happened…

My insurance agent was already closed yesterday but I will call them on monday to know if they can do something. I will do some photos to show you but I think there are few chances lemon jet could be repaired…I also received your bill from colpaert at nevele for the 220 euros, and I wonder if I should pay them directly or if you already paid and if I should send you the money back. I wanted to give you a little money for production but now it looks like more a little compensation… Can you tell me around how much money you used to make lemon jet ? I think insurance will ask.So here we are, Céline, i am so sad to write to you and give you such a sad new. I hope you feel not too sad, please answer me about how you feel and what you feel like me to do. It is also quite difficult because you are far away in Japan.

See u soon,xxxyuna. Yuna Mathieu-chovet for Plagiarama

25 September 2016, 15:19

yuna,

thank　you for your email

it is sad news   

the piece was made with a lot of love, and i it was my favourite piece.

it　was shaped by the sun, and　broke by the wind.

it gives me some thoughts to reflect upon

i don't want to be sad too long,

i made the descision some time ago, that i want to try to make opportunities out of every problem which i'm dealing with,

so this is an interesting test, try out, to deal with it

about the invoice of colpaert: i wanted to send it myself to you, but they directly sended it to you. so if you could pay them it would be easier

Let's hear what your insurance will say.

To answer your question about the value for the insurance,

i think that the value of the piece is based on the time needed to create the work [from start to finish] and the uniqueness of the piece

the asking price, without your part, is the price that it would be given to insurance companies.

let's call next week

when i'm back in belgium

céline

3 October 2016, 09:10

Yuna,
is there more news from your insurance compagny?
is it possible to send me a picture of the broken piece?
is the golden piece scratched, or damaged?
regards, 
céline

3 October 2016, 21:11

Hello Celine,

How do you do ? I think you should be soon back from Tokyo, i hope you had a nice journey, and that the bad news about lemon jet did not troubled your trip too much.

I am still so sad about it, but the mail you wrote to me and all the interesting things you said about your work and trying to make problem becoming opportunities console me a bit.

From insurance i have no clear news for the moment, they told me because it is no water or fire damage, neither a stealing, the insurance may not work … but they will look for more info and i send them the detailed way how everything happened, i will take some fresh news on phone tomorrow.

Here i send u the picts of broken lemon jet, i will also go back to the gallery to be sure if there is no scratching or little damage on Dispersion R

tell me when u are back from japan, if you want to come at the gallery.

xxx,

yuna

Yuna Mathieu-chovet for Plagiarama

3 October 2016, 21:16

… Then i think only about bad news and forget about good news : collector Alain Servais went at the exhibition yesterday and liked your work very much :-) i did not promised to buy but he was very interested, asked many questions and wanted further infos, he asked for prices and i need to be sure, all your works are unique pieces, right ? ( you do no editions of them )

xxx,

yuna.
Yuna Mathieu-chovet for Plagiarama

3 October 2016, 22:09

yuna,

about the opportunity:

in japan there is a zen mentality,

and a tradition of repairing prescious objects.

i can learn from a problem, instead of being angry or sad.

but i also think that it would be respectfull to see what the insurance could do. 

all best
céline

3 October 2016, 22:13

yuna,

all works are unique,

and made by my own hands.

no editions!!!
céline

6 October 2016, 22:03

Hello Céline,

Today the expert of the insurance came at the gallery because i insist very much that he would come to see the situation and ask him if he could do something for lemon jet. But he came and took a look at the gallery and lemon jet and told me that there is no chances the insurance could do something because it is no person damage, neither water or fire damage, neither stealing. I said it is strange to have and insurance about fire and water that won’t work for wind … I also said that we could pretend that it is stolen … but he did not liked it .. So i’m sorry that it won’t work, and i paid the bill from colpaert, also if it looks like more compensation than production now. 

I looked very much at dispersion:R and saw 2 little scratch , it is very little but like this u can see ( picts below)

tell me what do u think

xxx

yuna

6 October 2016, 22:31

yuna,

do you also have a picture of the lemon jet?

the scratch looks not too bad.
céline

7 October 2016, 00:23

You mean you want some more photos of lemon jet (here again u got the 5 i sent to u before) ? 

tell me what kind of

xxx

20 October 2016, 15:55

yuna,
sorry for my late answer. (too busy)
i missed the first photo of the broken lemon jet (japan)
after seeing it, 
i felt a bit sad, but i'm over it now.
Today  i also broke a very beautiful blue one.
(while installing)

breaking, falling and windy spaces are some new circumstances i'll use in my work.
(opportunities),

shaped by sunlight and wind.

regards
céline

31 October 2016, 11:46

hello celine,
thank you for your message, i understand, i’m very busy too. I understand also your feeling about a broken work ( i am still very sad for lemon jet too ) 
And i like the way you see and use the circumstances of your work :-)
I am organizing the way back of your works with indrikis works too, and i could have a car for today, tomorrow or wednesday. What would you prefer ?
xxx
yuna

EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT

(2019, silkscreen on aluminium, marker)