In Haute-Savoie, an unusual artistic performance between starred chef Jean Sulpice and street artist Lucas Beaufort
It is an unprecedented dialogue between two creators. On one side the chef of the Auberge du Père Bise, in Talloires-Montmin, in Haute-Savoie, on the shores of Lake Annecy: Jean Sulpice, two Michelin stars. The other, Lucas Belfort, an artist from Cannes, who accepted the chef’s invitation with this objective: to bring their respective art into dialogue. His challenge: to produce, during a service, a work live in front of the restaurant’s guests, drawing inspiration from the cuisine and the universe of the master of the place.
For Jean Sulpice and his kitchen team, it’s a service like any other whose watchword remains excellence in customer service. Indoors, on the other hand, it’s a little different. In front of the customers seated in front of the gustatory marvels concocted by the chef, a painter at work in front of a huge canvas. An unusual and rather unusual working environment for the street artist from Cannes Lucas Beaufort, who immediately accepted the experience: “They have the taste, they have the sight and also the artistic experience, which started from scratch. Because, right now, we see that it’s being built, but we mustn’t forget that two hours ago it was blank. And that’s what I like, starting from nothing, a bit like Jean does, he starts from nothing and builds a work“.
Confronting culinary art and pictorial art, as obvious for Jean Sulpice who likes to surprise his guests and for whom creation, experimentation and innovation are at the heart of his cuisine. An obvious link between his work and that of an artist: “This is what we do every day every time we create a plate. We are not going to look for this recipe in a book, we are going to look for it very deep inside us. And that’s the magic of art, it’s not to copy, but to seek, to draw inspiration, to be able to sign and gather as many people as possible around a plate“, explains the starred chef.
An experience that delighted the cook and the painter, as did the customers at the table that evening. “It’s very original, that’s why we came from elsewhere, because we didn’t know at all what to expecte”, confides a client. “Lucas is a sunny person, who is really into sharing, just like Jean, and that was felt throughout the meal. It was a real ride and it was really cool“, rejoiced another.
Lucas Beaufort’s fresco was painted on thirty small rectangular canvases and each guest was able to leave with a piece of the work, as a souvenir of this unusual evening.