In this body of work, Anne Billy explores the place of faith and memory in our private lives and communities. To this end, she reinterprets fragments of regional and religious culture – source materials with a rich history of use, acquired in thrift shops, as gifts and at auctions. The alteration of these devotional objects testifies to a disappearing Catholic heritage and changing social attitudes toward faith. Far from a denunciation, the work raises universal questions about our complex relationship to religious belief.
Handwork practices inspire Anne Billy’s approach to these heritage items. Stitching techniques rooted in traditional women’s work – and interpreted anew in these installations – reflect the artist’s interest in the evolution of social structures.
