Laisser les piolets au bas de la paroi

Returning home.
In 2012, after a few years spent abroad, visual artist Eric Philippoz settled back in his native village in the Swiss Alps, with a project in mind: renovating the house of his deceased grandmother. Despite being quite difficult, this return allowed him to reconnect with his 95 years old neighbor: as a young woman, she’d left the village to work in Geneva and only returned to the mountains as she retired. Despite their obvious age difference, both the artist and the old lady had in common the sensation of not being at the right place. During eight conversations, flavored with rosehip tea and biscuits, they shared their experience of the city, the struggle of living in a small mountain village, the memories of the places they visited or wished to visit, their mountain climbing adventures, their favorite books and songs, and stories about love, life and death.
How can the life of an old woman find an echo in the life of a young man?

Laisser les piolets au bas de la paroi premiered in September 2017 at theatre TLH – Sierre. The project was awarded the PREMIO 2017 – Award for performing arts.

Company: ART KLUBB
Concept and performance: Eric Philippoz
Dramaturgy and stage direction: Sarah-Lise Salomon Maufroy and Cédric Leproust
Scenography: Laurent Pavy
Sound design : Basile Weber
Light design : Aurélien Cibrario
Administration : Valérie Quennoz

Co Production : ART KLUBB, TLH-Sierre

With the generous help of : TLH-Sierre, Fondation suisse pour la culture Pro Helvetia, Fondation Ernst Göhner, Pour-cent culturel Migros, Fondation Engelberts, Canton du Valais, Commune d’Ayent