Marion Motin: french dancer and choreographer

1. What is your earliest memory connected to art?

Marion Motin: When I was a child, we used to visit friends in Valderoure, near the Fondation Maeght where Giacometti’s works were displayed.

My parents were always dragging us to museums and I hated it. That day, I was sulking the whole time.

But I still remember those monumental sculptures so clearly. Giacometti still haunts me today. I think that was the first time I truly grasped what art could be.

I felt torn in two: completely fascinated by the intensity and beauty of it all, yet irritated purely out of principle.

2. What is your relationship with art today?

Marion Motin: I love art. More than that, I think it’s essential, magical, powerful. It’s everywhere and it always has been. I can’t imagine life without it.

Art exists in decoration, staging, books, fashion, poetry. There’s also the art of living, the art of thinking. It’s everywhere, and I love it endlessly.

I think art saves me every single day. It changes the way I look at the world and at its cruelty. It allows me to find beauty in difficult places and to elevate unbearable situations.

To me, art is ultimately about perspective, the way we choose to look at life.

3. How would you describe your artistic universe to someone unfamiliar with your work? What makes it unique?

Marion Motin: What makes my work unique is the way I perceive things and transform them.

For example, I hate violence, yet I love seeing it in my pieces because it’s reframed in a way that makes it bearable.

“It’s not real,” so somehow it reassures me, even though in the moment I want to believe in it completely.

I experience the body and music as if we were resonance chambers, with our organs physically playing the music moving through us.

It enters your body, your cells, your gut. My movements are often described as organic because they come from something deeply lived and sensory.

No movement can replace another because each one carries its own meaning, texture and intention.

I also love art as a whole, so I enjoy working with light, costumes, scenography, voice, music, acting and writing.

Right now, I’m becoming interested in science too. I’d love to experiment with science through art as a medium.

4. What inspires you in everyday life? Where do your ideas come from?

Marion Motin: First and foremost, desire. Pleasure is my driving force. If I’m unhappy, I can’t create, although those emotions may inspire me later on.

Most of my inspiration comes from life itself. Recently, I imagined an entire performance while sitting in a sauna. The place was beautiful and mysterious and it inspired me deeply.

I’d even love for Ora Ito to design the sauna because he masters those rounded shapes so beautifully but that’s still a secret idea I’m sharing with you.

Then I simply follow the thread. Walking alone. Riding, as we say. People, encounters, conversations.

I also draw inspiration from animals and nature because their movements are free from posture and performance.

5. Which artists do you admire? Who moves you and why?

Marion Motin: I deeply admire David Lynch because he has such a singular voice and such a powerful universe. His work leaves a visual, sonic and emotional imprint.

There’s a very specific atmosphere to it. I also love that he never explains everything. I enjoy being left with questions, building my own interpretation and discussing it with others.

I also love Wajdi Mouawad. He’s an incredibly brilliant and free playwright and director. His books make me cry every time and his plays make me laugh, cry and travel emotionally. His work feels both deeply real and beautifully abstract at once.

Marco Goecke is another artist I admire immensely. His movement language is extraordinary and unlike anything else I’ve ever seen. Watching his work feels like watching birds dance. I love performances that evolve narratively and emotionally.

And then there’s Valentine Schlegel with her extraordinary fireplaces. I’m fascinated by the way she turned interiors into artworks. I absolutely love her sculptural approach to plaster. Pure freedom.

6. Finally, what’s next for you? Any upcoming projects?

Marion Motin: I’m currently preparing my piece Les Affamés, which will be performed at Théâtre du Châtelet from May 21 to 24 and then at La Scala Provence from July 4 to 12 as part of the Avignon Festival.

I’m also working on the opening ceremony for the Top 14 at Stade de France.

At the same time, I’ll be performing my piece Narcisse at Théâtre du 13e Art from June 17 to 27 and I’ll also be dancing in it.

And then I plan to rest a little and spend time with my son and at home. I’d love to remake a garden table in tadelakt and cover my terrace in ceramics.

Their favorite artworks