Corentin Charbonnier: the curator of the "All Is Not Dark" exhibition answers questions from Noire
- Noire Lemag
- 5 hours ago
- 8 min read
NOIRE: Hello Corentin, can you introduce yourself in a few words?
CORENTIN CHARBONNIER: Hello, I'm Corentin Charbonnier, PhD in Anthropology since 2015, but recently qualified in Management Sciences. I teach and conduct research (Hellfest Lab, MSC, Motocultor). In parallel, within the metal scene, which is central to all my activities, I'm a photographer and co-curator of the Metal – Diabolus In Musica exhibition at the Philharmonie de Paris in 2024. And now we're doing it again with the dream team (Førtifem/Milan Garcin/Christian Lamet) in Rochefort in 2026 with Tout n'est pas sombre (All Is Not Dark), an exhibition that will explore the relationship with nature and death in the metal scene.
NOIRE: You have a doctorate in anthropology, can you explain what this science is?
CORENTIN CHARBONNIER: Let's try to summarize this well: anthropology is part of the social sciences. It studies social groups from different perspectives: family, society, community, ritualized places, for example. In short, I'm a bit of an oddity, since I've been branching out into management science for a few years now, but I still work with different disciplines. The Hellfest Lab, created with Cindy Pajot, Hellfest's CSR manager, is a perfect example: we have a team of sociologists and anthropologists with Thomas Sigaud and Lise Bodin, a team of managers with Emilie Ruiz and Romain Gandia, a research team on musicians' health with Céleste Rousseau, who did her PhD on the musculoskeletal risks of musicians, and finally a visual research team (quite close to visual anthropology) with Lisa Brault for photography and Jérémy Jouaud and Gabriel Weyand for video.
NOIRE: You're also a concert photographer. How did you get started with this activity/passion?
CORENTIN CHARBONNIER: In the early 2000s, I was already involved with local media (high school radio, then Radio Béton, then Radio G Angers before returning to Radio Béton). The promotion of the metal scene was very uneven between Paris and the provinces, and I wanted to document the scene, like a budding anthropologist, to keep track of what was happening, what was going on...
On the one hand, photography is a passion I love, a way to immortalize a concert, to capture the moment and the essence of a performance, to share it with enthusiasts or newcomers alike. The other aspect is clearly more linked to my primary field of study. Now, there's a part I exhibit depending on projects and needs, and another part I work on for different projects (articles, academic publications). In fact, I think it is really necessary to do science with and for society, we end up also promoting a scene to a wider audience that is not necessarily metalhead, questioning practices and representations.
NOIRE: You're passionate about metal. What do you like about this music and who are your favorite bands?
CORENTIN CHARBONNIER: I've more or less dedicated my professional and personal life to it… It's a very exclusive passion, like for many metalheads. Coming from classical music (harp), I think what I like is the diversity of the scene: you can find ultra-violent, ultra-calm, melodic, brutal, virtuosic… it all depends on what inspires you. Similarly, it's extremely difficult to make a list of favorite bands.
It will range from Gaerea to Behemoth, by way of Max Cavalera and all his projects, Septic Flesh, Regarde Les Hommes Tomber, Heriot, Solstafir, Benighted, Wargasm, and more recently Imminence. I could also look to the vocal performances of Rachel Aspe, Barbara Mogore, Chloé Trujillo, not forgetting Clémentine Delauney, or the compositions of Haggard, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Heilung… the drumming of Franky Costanza, the virtuosity of Kirk Hammett, the bass playing of Robert Trujillo, whether with Infectious or Metallica…
In short, I won't be able to do it without thinking, upon rereading, that this or that artist is missing. I'm trying to mention the most well-known ones, but there's so much to say about our local scenes… To sum it up, I'd say that I can be moved by both the composition and the emotional intention of a piece of music.
NOIRE: You've also curated exhibitions, including "Diabolus in Musica," which was on display at the Philharmonie de Paris in 2024. How do you organize such exhibitions?
CORENTIN CHARBONNIER: Well, first of all, I was lucky. Because it was the Philharmonie de Paris that contacted me, and I could hardly believe it. In a country like France, where metal is still stigmatized and seen as a "counterculture," as if it were still 1990, it didn't seem like a given that they'd be putting on an exhibition of this scale. Their idea was to introduce me to Milan Garcin, a PhD in art history, who had already curated an exhibition at the Philharmonie. It created a particularly effective two-headed hydra!
We got along incredibly well; our differences, based on our respective interests and skills, became a strength in service of the project. Once this project was developed and approved—basically, the sections, the artworks, the objects, the artistic choices—the Philharmonie put out a call for exhibition designers. We were fortunate to have the team of Clémence La Sagna and Achile Racine, who suggested Fortifem as graphic designers. We had already shortlisted them (and I was familiar with them since they designed the cover of one of my books in 2021). Beyond that, the Philharmonie has a whole team behind it… our project manager Julie Bénet, people in production, installation, and conservation… a fantastic education department, a publishing department, a concert department…
In short, it's huge and incredibly enriching: an adventure that deserves pages and pages. It's both a long-term endeavor where you don't count the hours and a lifelong project. At least it was for two years, and now there's Rochefort. Thank you to Marie-Pauline and Jade for making this proposal and for introducing me to Milan. In addition, we were fortunate to have one of the living encyclopedias of metal as a scientific advisor: Christian Lamet.
NOIRE: A new exhibition, entitled “All Is Not Dark,” will soon take place in Rochefort (17). It will run from September 19, 2026, to January 2, 2027, at the Corderie Royale. Can you tell us more about this event?
CORENTIN CHARBONNIER: In 2024, Olivier Desgranges, former director of the Rochefort library network, visited the Philharmonie with Christophe Pineau, head of contemporary music programming. The idea was to bring part of the exhibition to Rochefort. Unfortunately, the Philharmonie and Rochefort have different economic priorities, and it shows. They contacted me to discuss it, and as a result, the project evolved: to create a new, original exhibition at the Erik Orsenna library in the Corderie Royale in Rochefort.
Accompanied by Charlotte Couturier, head of cultural development, and Sébastien Dias, stage manager, this is a new challenge for me, a new gamble: putting together a more intimate project, but one of equally high quality. It involves building a team, forging partnerships, and engaging artists (graphic designers and musicians). In short, we're not starting from scratch because we've acquired certain approaches and skills, and above all, close friends who support the idea: Førtifem, always on graphic design and offering sound advice; Milan Garcin, now a curator in Switzerland (a tax exile); and Christian Lamet, from Hard Force, are the scientific advisors.
Working as a team with reliable, professional people who are also close enough to tell me, "You're kidding me, Co," or to offer suggestions like, "Hey, what if we did it this way?" is priceless. I don't consider myself the sole mastermind behind this project; I see it as a team, even a family of dangerous pranksters: you've got a graphic design partner who's one of the best in the world, you've got Milan with his museum and metal experience and knowledge, and you've got Christian Lamet, a walking encyclopedia of knowledge with stage experience that towers above all of us on this team (his media outlet, Hardforce, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year).
In short, we're taking the same team and starting again with a new project. Of course, it's different; we have a space we have to adapt to, constraints, but also a freedom to work that's as exciting as it is daunting. Having worked for a year on the relationship between ecology and metal in research with Emilie Ruiz, it seemed obvious to me that the relationship to the cycles of life was relevant: there's a definite anthropological aspect to it when I talk about the state of nature or death rites. In short, the subject is fascinating, and we're going to showcase it with the help of dozens of graphic artists and groups who embraced the project and adapted to create a truly unique exhibition. And as I write this, there are still some surprises in store among the works to be exhibited, because we have exceptional partners who have agreed to support me (some returning, others new) in this project: 5BAM, the management agency; HardForce, the long-standing media outlet; ESP – the guitar brand; Distrolution Merch and Vortex Corner, who are helping us with printing materials and introducing us to some of their artists; and the Hellfest, Motocultor, and Firemaster Convention festivals – three different sizes, different challenges, but all long-standing partners. It's a real privilege to have been able to bring together so many stakeholders. We needed a project with ambitions, desires, stakes, and ideals, and this is a true mark of confidence. I can only thank them.
And to that, you add the bands, musicians, and graphic artists, contacted directly and who participated, with whom we sent each other to send tons of packages for the exhibition (Nicolas, my postman, being a metalhead, it arrives perfectly, and we often unpack together)... I'm lucky to have this network and their support. The goal is to build something; I'm not a structure where the project is vague. We bring people together because the project is planned, agreed upon, and with a deadline that's getting closer. And besides, an exhibition is a matter of choices, of biases, which can't please everyone, but whose primary goal is to showcase the artists and create connections.
I also hope that it will be able to travel, that it can be presented in other venues in France or abroad. That's also part of my convictions: making culture accessible to as many people as possible, close to home!
NOIRE:What would you like to say to those who read us to encourage them to come to the exhibition?
CORENTIN CHARBONNIER: First of all, we're in the Royal Rope Factory of Rochefort, a magnificent historical building, and showcasing metal within its walls has a cathartic quality; I'm sure you'll appreciate the contrast between inside and outside. Then, come and see what the artists have to offer. We have a route packed with gems: Eliran Kantor, Seth Siro Anton, Z.Bielak, Vaderetro, Vincent Fouquet, our own Førtifem, Vorace, Gabbie Burns, Dehn Sora, Kai Uwe Faust d’Heilung, photo/graphic design collaborations, Ester Segarra, artists such as Gala Jenkins, Lucile Lejoly, and Eva Hagen with designs they could tattoo on you with the same level of detail, unique objects, instruments, relics, ritual elements! I don't want to give too much away, and that's already a lot. There will be a focus on families of artists: Duplantier, Trujillo, Cavalera… whom I humbly thank for their participation. Finally, we are working on the staging to showcase Lisa Brault's photographic prints, whose portraits of artists are as visually striking as they are moving.
I can't mention everyone, and I'm ashamed to say so, because choices have to be made here, and also to leave you with the surprise of what you'll find and perhaps what you might have hoped to find. It's also a matter of space and scale. It's like a festival; you work with the available artists, your budget, your values, and what you want to champion. The exhibition will allow you to discover the diversity of the metal scene, in its musical genres, aesthetics, and the artists themselves.
We'll have established artists with over 20 years of experience, as well as artists who are much younger in their practice. By including them in an exhibition, we also aim to support the artists and offer them a platform to showcase their work. Come see, exchange ideas, discuss, share your feelings and feedback, and thank this community for its commitment in commissioning a major exhibition at a time when culture isn't always considered a priority. And while you're at the exhibition, take the opportunity to explore our host region of Rochefort and its surrounding area, rich in heritage and history.
Comments