Francesco Grasso

It progressively became evident how Gino’s focus on building foundations could offer an entry point for our reflection; although it initially meant looking for, observing and documenting the different solutions employed by modern-looking commercial activities in historic buildings to deal with slopes, this approach later took on a more expanded meaning. The ambiguous yet evocative character associated with the concept of foundations opened up a stimulating conversation around our intention to dig below the surface of Le Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds and uncover narratives, experiences and aspects that lay underground.

The guiding metaphor of foundations provided solid ground on which to structure our work. Its memorability enabled us to «bring two separate domains into cognitive and emotional relation» (Black, 1962: 236-237) and coherently frame our technical analysis through a more qualitative point of view. In my eyes, the metaphor paved the way for qualitative research: it played the role that models do in quantitative analysis (Cardano, 2020).

The attention to invisible processes resonated with Marie, whose background as an elected official and interest in Urban Sociology placed people's involvement in transformations at the top of her list. Questions surrounding identity, sense of belonging, and the relationship between public authority and the community all figured prominently in her presentation.

She suggested employing qualitative interviews to try to unearth hidden dynamics that could lead us to the foundations ー in this case, the grassroots ー of citizens’ perceptions and participation. We agreed that speaking and listening to people could help deconstruct established narratives and reach unexpected conclusions.

The last piece of this methodological puzzle came from my recent exploration of the formation, endurance and disappearance of cultural and artistic networks in cities: to set the research in motion we could then rely on recommendations offered by interviewees, both in terms of places and people. I believed that our personal declination of a snowball sampling could represent an effective, yet simplified, way to advance our research and directly implicate ourselves in the definition of an invisible network; one that reflexively clarified both our agency and our subjects’.

Eventually, we let ourselves «be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters» (Debord, 1958), ending up unconsciously embracing a sort of dérive . This combination of stimuli, initial uncertainty and curiosity led us to walk into Sabrina Simon-Vermont’s art lab for children in Le Locle, “Atelier Les Confettis”.

It was extremely insightful to listen to and take notes of the different answers Salomé and Célien were providing to our thematically diverse yet interlinked sets of questions.

In line with my current research interests, I was curious to understand the journey of the associations behind this place and their institutional relationships. It turned out that in 2006 a group of eight people had established a creative space in a former dormitory for railway workers located near the Grand Pont in La Chaux-de-Fonds. La Locomotive ー the name the association still bears today ー provided a building for up to ten ateliers working with photography, stop-motion video, music, painting, tech, graphic design and engraving. In June 2019, they were forced to leave the premises and move to a different location: Rue de la Serre 89.

Today, La Locomotive , which was never dissolved but just changed its registered office, manages the space and rents it to artisans and artists, while La Serre , an association formed after the eviction, deals with promoting and organising events and exhibitions at X Personnes. The two associations work hand-in-hand to ensure people can comfortably work there and display their creations to the public.

To remain free and independent, both associations have never asked for funds from the municipality; the city, in return, has never made significant investments in the field nor promoted La Locomotive/La Serre’s cultural programme. The latter has partially to do with the fact that the building is still classified as a “productive” and “insustrial” space, meaning it lacks the proper conditions to be able to regularly host events in compliance with safety regulations. As a result, they’re allowed to organize occasional shows throughout the year under special circumstances.

As I was inquiring about the conflicts between local institutions, mainstream and independent artistic production, I asked about XPersonnes’s involvement in the 74th Biennale d’Art Contemporain held at the Musée des Beaux-arts de La Chaux-de-Fonds in 2021. Their answer not only perfectly aligned with my research but also pointed us toward our third and final stop of the day.

Since the director of the Musée des Beaux-arts is also responsible for the cultural agenda of the city, the institutional implications were amplified. This did not stop a record number of artists to apply: out of more than 200, 39 were selected for the final exhibition (Romanens, 2021). The relevance of this example, though, lay in the “ Salon des refusés” organized by an association composed of several artists who were not selected by the jury. Described as a «contre-évènement» by one of its members (Romanens, 2021), it gathered more than 140 works by around sixty artists to Quartier General (QC), a former slaughterhouse turned into an exhibition space.