The artist and his gallery will receive €10,000 each. The cash prize will go towards the production of “Fond de Sac” — a room fragrance “inspired by everyday scents of the city, combining smells from the metro with coffee, cigarettes and chewing-gum."
Courtois worked with perfume designer Barnabé Fillion on the project, which involved both the creation of the scent and its spraying device. “Fond de Sac” was described as “both present and fleeting, the surprising perfume contrasts with the materiality of its receptacle: a monumental sculpture, a strange plaster crater that takes its shape and size from the world's largest flower, the titan arun”. The perfume will “consist of four different fragrances, each capturing a journey between Paris and the South of France”.
Chosen by a prestigious jury, consisting of 2016 laureate Lola Gonzalez, Fondation Ricard director Colette Barbier, Jeu de Paume director Marta Gili and Palais de Tokyo director Jean de Loisy, the artist was also endorsed by star curator Hans Ulrich Obrist. Courtois follows in the footsteps of Neil Beloufa, Saâdane Afif, Eric Baudard and Mark Geffriaud.
Morgan Courtois, Still Life XXII
