Nina Laisné

After graduating in photography and video from the Bordeaux Academy of Fine Arts in 2009, Nina Laisné studied traditional Argentinian music with guitarist Miguel Garau – her desire to blend film, music and contemporary art emerged. She takes a special interest in marginals advancing on the borders of official history, as well as in oral traditions in the aftermath of an uprooting. As early as 2010, with “Os convidados”, Laisné’s images took on sound, suggesting traditional music. In 2013 her film “En présence (Piedad Silenciosa)” struck a balance between visual and musical writing, around religious reminiscences in Venezuelan folklore. The production also marked the start of a rewarding collaboration with the musician Daniel Zapico. With “Folk Songs” (2014) and “Esas lágrimas son pocas” (2015), Laisné adopted forms related to the documentary to trace musical traditions in migratory phenomena.

Her projects have led to exhibitions in several countries, such as Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, Egypt, China and Argentina. She is regularly invited to produce new pieces during creative residencies: Casa de Velázquez – Académie de France in Madrid, FRAC Franche-Comté, Park in Progress in Cyprus and Spain, Pollen in Monflanquin, etc. Her video productions screen in movie theatres and at festivals, including the FID in Marseille, the FIAC Paris, Papay Gyro Nights Festival in Hong Kong, Festival Internacional de Cinema in Toluca or Digo Festival de Goiás. Laisné also collaborates with many stage artists, including the flamenco choreographer and dancer Israel Galván (“El Amor Brujo”), the puppet master Renaud Herbin (“Open the Owl”) or the Spanish choreographer Luz Arcas (“Toná”).

In 2017 in La Bâtie-Festival de Genève, she created the show “Romances inciertos, un autre Orlando”, produced with François Chaignaud, presented at the 72nd Avignon Festival and around the world. Their collaboration continued for the short film “Mourn, O Nature!” (2018), which was inspired by the Massenet opera “Werther”, for an exhibition at the Grand Palais. In 2019 for her new solo exhibition at the FRAC Franche-Comté, Laisné presented “L’air des infortunés” with Cédric Eeckhout and Marc Mauillon. In 2020 Laisné and Daniel Zapico founded the record label Alborada. Their first publication, “Au monde”, is based on Vaudry de Saizenay’s precious manuscript (1699) and has received numerous awards (Diapason d’or, 4 Clés Télérama and 5 Etoiles Pizzicato). In 2021 at Bonlieu Scène nationale Annecy, the Laisné-Zapico duo created “Arca ostinato”, a miniature opera that reinvents the approach to the theorbo. In 2022 the second publication of the Alborada label is released: the disc of the show “Romances inciertos, un autre Orlando”, recorded in studio conditions at the Arsenal de Metz, also acclaimed by the critics (5 Étoiles Pizzicato and Ritmo). In 2024 Laisné created “Como una baguala oscura” in collaboration with Argentinian dancer and choreographer Nestor ‘Pola’ Pastorive, based on the work of composer and pianist Hilda Herrera.

Nina Laisné is an associate artist of Les 2 Scènes – Scène nationale de Besançon and Le Quartz – Scène nationale de Brest.