About the Film
It starts with Los Angeles-based sculptor Pascal Giacomini participating in the 2nd Ghetto Biennale of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, where—working in the same conditions as local and visiting artists—he creates three large-scale sculptures from scavenged materials. As he works, he documents the process.
Out of Chaos is a film about art made by an artist. Interwoven with photography, local music, and lots of art, it delves into Haitian history through the paintings of the island’s celebrated artists. Viewers are guided through life in the Grand Rue ghetto, its incredible art, and art’s dominant place in Haitian culture.
The audience also gets to witness a substantial Vodou ceremony, significant to Haiti’s revolutionary past, and recreated annually in dazzling color, pomp, and circumstance.
In the film, Pascal elicits observations and wisdom from a world-renowned expert on Vodou, Donald J. Cosentino, as wells as from Haitian author and McArthur Fellow Edwidge Danticat, who supplies a glimpse into one of the reasons behind the world’s ongoing fascination with Haiti. “We’re considered the nomads in our part of the world. We’re not necessarily wanted, but our art is wanted,” she says.
The film’s finale projects the exuberance of Haiti’s artistic preeminence through the Cap Haitian annual carnival, which Pascal was fortunate enough to attend before flying back home to California, where Haiti remains in his heart.
As the credits roll, a series of post-Grand Rue sculptures made in the artist’s studio in Los Angeles illustrates the impact of the experience on Pascal’s creative process. Titled Marie-Antoinette and her Flock, these works are his way of incorporating the legacy of the French and Haitian revolutions into his work, allowing the beheaded queen a rebirth from a post-colonial slum.
About the Filmmaker,
Pascal Giacomini
I came to Los Angeles in 1983 from Paris and began working as a cabinet-maker. From cabinet making, I went on to design furniture, functional art, and interiors in the residential and commercial realm. From there, I got the itch to create sculptures; and by 1994 was the subject of a one-man show of public, large scale works that spanned 14 city blocks in West Hollywood. Public exhibits in Malibu and Palm Springs followed.
My work has been featured at the Fowler Museum at UCLA, Craft and Folk Art Museum, LA, and several Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs venues; as well as in historic homes, such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Sowden House in Hollywood, and the Norma Talmadge estate in Silver Lake. In addition to my functional art and sculpture, I am a mixed media photographer and documentary filmmaker.
Marrying into a Haitian family and a love of Haitian art drove me, along with my wife, to delve into Haitian art and culture in a very intense manner. Some years ago we opened Galerie Lakaye, which has since become LA’s premiere gallery of Haitian art. We have curated over 50 exhibitions at our gallery and cultural institutions over the last three decades.
When I was accepted to participate in the Ghetto Biennale of Port-au-Prince, I got the opportunity to do my art in the midst of this culture I know so well, and whose energy has been so inspiring.
My film, Out of Chaos, is a result of this synergy—called Melange in Haiti—where I take the audience on a trip to one of the poorest but most creative spots on the planet, and illustrate its far-reaching influence on my work. After creating my sculptures while there, using whatever materials I could find on the ground—just like the locals—I came back to Los Angeles with a completely different work ethic and creative process.
My new work pays homage to the genius of this amazing community of artmakers.
About the Study Guide
Galerie Lakaye, a Los Angeles-based art gallery specializing in Haitian art and promoting Black culture, is powerfully defining its commitment to social justice by championing arts education in the university setting.
Haiti has been called a nation where “art is life” (Los Angeles Times). People want to know why—and how—this is possible in such a poverty-stricken place. To help answer that question, Galerie Lakaye has produced an award-winning 67-minute feature documentary film titled Out of Chaos: An Artist’s Journey in Haiti, which serves as the foundation of the Lakaye arts education curriculum. It allows instructors to explore and discuss the following issues:
the differences and similarities in artistic and aesthetic values of different cultures
privilege
sustainable art creation
lack of resources and resourcefulness
the Black experience
racism and opportunity
community, and more
The curriculum comes with a Study Guide with curated discussions by topic and activities designed to safely process and explore content, concepts, and career opportunities. Educational and cultural institutions that purchase the film for screening will be provided with a copy of the Study Guide upon request. Study guide discussion topics include:
Art as Societal and Cultural Expression
Art, Religion and Vodou Culture
Art and Resistance
History of Haiti and the Arts
Recycling and Sustainable Art Creation
Art and Poverty
Slavery and Empowerment
Racism and Opportunity
The Black Experience
Immigration
Entrepreneurship
Creative Journalism and Filmmaking
To license Out of Chaos, click here.