Mémoire de l'oublieur

A journey along the ghostly paths of a vanished profession, that of the ‘forgettor’, illuminated by an investigation by Yoann Dumel-Vaillot, researcher and philosopher, and haunted by the words of Elsa Vettier, curator and critic, illustrated by the curiosities of Charlie Boisson and presented by Sophie Auger-Grappin, director of Le Creux de l’Enfer.
This publication presents Charlie Boisson’s creations during a residency at Le Creux de l’Enfer in 2021, in collaboration with local residents, cartoonist Arnaud Descheemacker and blacksmith Pierre Pagès on a project dedicated to ‘moules à oublies’. The forerunner of the waffle and the wafer, the oublie is a fine pastry baked in a cast-iron mould decorated with relief motifs. Very popular in the Middle Ages, here the artist offers a contemporary reinterpretation.

Between the contemporary waffle mould and the ecclesiastical wafer iron lies a very special utensil for making pastries: the oublies mould. Composed of two metal plates decorated with motifs and symbols, this object from another age bears witness to a craft guild that has now disappeared.
Charlie Boisson has been influenced by his practice of sculpture and object assembly, in which the link with know-how and craftsmanship is essential. He has decided to reinterpret these moulds, which are linked to technical and craft skills that echo his artistic research.
During the spring of 2021, this utensil of medieval origin was the centrepiece of a co-creation residency, a joint venture between Charlie Boisson and volunteers from the Thiernois Basin, which led to the creation of new oublies moulds by completely redesigning the utensil and researching new shapes and designs in the company of illustrator and engraver Arnaud Descheemacker. The project culminated in the production of eight moulds with the help of blacksmith Pierre Pagès.
Charlie Boisson exhibited the newly forged contemporary pieces at Le Creux de l’enfer and presented the results of his research and his collaboration with the volunteers, with the aim of sharing with the public the history of this timeless utensil.