NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
D'artiste à exposant

This thesis discusses the inclusion of non-artist participants in the selection of Documenta 13 (2012) and in the curated thematic exhibition of the 55th Venice Biennial (2013). Through an inductive approach, it reveals the conditions of possibility and the condition of reception of this phenomenon. Listing the non artists included in the exhibitions we selected for this dissertation, we begin by defining five categories of non-artist : « unsigned objects,» « scientists ,» « non-artist members of the network ,» « outsider artists » and « non-visual artists .» Following this exercise, the artist status presents itself as a semantic knot which is addressed from a sociohistorical and a historiographical point of view. We propound in the process the notion of « exhibitor » to designate more precisely the status of the heterogenous elements henceforth included in the selection of those humongous art fairs. An analysis of the curators’ writings about the exhibitions reveals the influence of visual and cultural studies, which finally appear as the most determinant condition of the possibility for the presence of non-artist exhibitors in those editions of Documenta and Venice Biennial. We then survey these exhibitions’ crititical reception to bring to light if and how these hybrid selections are perceived and received by the press coverage. That is, in fine, it makes us understand how, far from simply reenacting the debate over auctoriality between artists and curators initiated in 1972 around Documenta 5, the recent inclusion of various types of exhibitors in art exhibitions reflects as well the new status given to objects by different contemporary theories (Mitchell 1984 ; Latour 1994, 2006 ; Elkins ; 1999, Brown 2001) that conceive it as an actor, a protagonist endowed with agency.

Keyphrases: Art contemporain, Contemporary art, Exhibitions, Curators, Artist status, Exhibitor
L’indépendance à tout prix : la Belgique face à la France durant l’Entre-deux-guerres

The main focus of this study is the dynamic between France and Belgium during the Interwar period. The goal is to verify if Belgium was ever a satellite of French diplomacy under the 1920 French-Belgium military alliance. Using the diplomatic archives of the Belgian Foreign Office, the study shows that, whilst maintaining the harmony between the main members of the former Allies (French, Great-Britain and Belgium), Belgium always acted in its most basic national interest. As the major events of the Interwar period unveil: (especially, the Ruhr Occupation, the Locarno Treaty, the Rhineland demilitarisation and Hitler’s election) Belgium demonstrates that she is both independent and a major player in the evolution of European politics. The breaking of the 1920 French-Belgian military alliance in 1936 is often falsely seen as a rupture of a political relationship, whereas it only represented Belgium’s way to not be involved in another war without her consent. This study clarifies the Franco-Belgian relationship during the Interwar period and demonstrates that it was not one of submission by Belgium to France.

Keyphrases: France, International relationships, Interwar period, International relationship history, Diplomacy, Belgium, France, Independence, National Security
Le banquet comme vecteur de la christianisation en Norvège médiévale

This study concerns the christianization of medieval Norway, from the eleventh century until the mid-thirteenth century, through feasts and food rituals. The analysis is largely based on the Gulathing law, a legal compilation of regional laws started in the eleventh century and codified in its final form in the thirteenth century. A few other sources act as auxiliaries, especially helpful in the establishing the chronology of christianization. Throughout this work, the marked importance of feasts as an essential mechanism to the Norwegian society allows to better understand how these events served the religious transition. This work also establishes that christianization was a lengthy process where a few elements of religious continuity could be observed. The feasts proved to be an important means to the coming of Christianity in the North, mostly through the retaining of certain rites and through the cultural changes observed in this kind of event.

Keyphrases: rites, Norway, Middle Ages, Gulathing Laws, paganism, christianization, feasts
L’exercice de la justice en Bresse sous le règne d’Amédée VIII de Savoie (1420-1440)

In order to standardize the administrative and judicial procedures in a duchy at the heights of its expansion, the duke Amédée VIII of Savoy (1391-1440) adopted in 1430 a set of laws, the « Statutes of Savoy » or Decreta Sabaudiae, which proposed a reform of the State apparatus. But what was the true impact of these Decreta on the exercice of justice in Savoy?  This essay seeks to use accounting and fiscal sources from the bailliage of Bresse between 1420 and 1440 in order to determine what were the judicial institutions and practices at the time of the adoption of the Statutes of 1430. A thorough analysis of these new decrees would then establish if they managed to significally change the habits and behavior of the duke’s officiers and subjects.    It appears that in the end, the Decreta seeked to correct judicial practices that were neglected over time : the major changes wished by the duke were in fact already established before the adoption of the new Statutes. As for the new penal laws of Amédée VIII, the documentation of Bresse could not prove their concrete enforcement.

Keyphrases: Amédée VIII, Bresse, Justice, Officiers, Statutes of Savoy, Criminality, Officers, Accounting
Modélisation de la croissance architecturale et radiale du pin blanc dans l’est du Canada selon des facteurs environnementaux et climatiques

A predictive model of forest productivity adapted to the ontogeny and phenology of eastern white pine would optimize its production. Architectural crown growth (annual shoot length and number of annual twigs) and radial growth (annual ring width) were measured at four sites in southern Quebec. These response variables were related in models with explanatory variables considered by several studies as important for the growth of eastern white pine or other forest species according to two categories of explanatory variables : environmental or climatic variables. The most parsimonious model by category and by response variable was determined using the Akaike criterion. This is the least biased and most accurate model. The environmental models included a competition index independent of distance and considering competing trees larger in diameter than the target tree at less than 8 m. The dendroclimatic model and the two climatic models of architectural growth include monthly climatic variables, temperature and precipitation, the year preceding growth and the year of growth. Only the climatic model of radial growth is sufficiently explanatory (65.9%) to be considered adequate for a prediction simulation of forest production.

Keyphrases: architecture, foresterie, eastern white pine, precipitations, spatiality, shoot, ring, branching, dendroecology, ecology, forestery, phenology, ontogeny, modeling
Le dynamisme communicatif des sacrifices sanglants : perspective bantoue avec référence à l'épître aux Hébreux 9,1-10,18

In This dissertation, the researcher discusses the topic: The communicative power of blood sacrifices: African perspective bantou with special reference to the Epistle to Hebrews 9, 1-10, 18. It investigates blood sacrifices in Xhosa tribe in South Africa. In fact, sacrificial performances play a significant role in most of all religions in the world. They are most of the time the very complex ritual through which worshipers enters into communication with the deity who agree with the sacrifice. In that perspective, the communicative dynamism of blood sacrifice among some African tribes is experienced to the extend that people who have been converted to Christianise still resort to perform that ritual showing how that practice is so influential. The comparison between sacrificial performances in the African traditional religion and in the epistle to the Hebrews will lead us to find out similarities and differences .In that context, the existence of similarities shows somehow those African traditional religions could be considered, as well as christianism as a revealed religion. We may believe that God revealed himself to Africans through blood sacrifice ritual, and it is also through the mediatised communication by sacrifice that worshippers go in touch with divinity and receive all benefactions and advantages. In the epistle to the Hebrews, the communicative dynamism of blood sacrifice of Jesus ensures to worshipers an eternal salvation, the forgiveness of sins and the suppression of guilt. In that case Jesus blood sacrifice transmits to worshipers social, psychological and soteriological advantages. The power of Jesus blood sacrifice must be then defended in a dialogue between Africans religions and christianism.

Keyphrases: Sacrifice, Xhosa, Power, Communicative, Blood, African, Hebrews
La conversion chez Plotin

This thesis is concerned with the study of the concept of conversion as it can be gleaned from the Enneads of Plotinus. The first chapter hopes to demonstrate how Plotinus’ relation and understanding of the philosophical tradition, most notably Platonism, informs his conception of conversion and how in turn this informed conception manifests itself in Plotinus’ views on language and on the philosophical life. In both cases, reference and return to the Principle is seen as an ideal. The second chapter explores how, in the Enneads, the concept of conversion interacts with another key Plotinian concept, procession, and how this interaction is not one of antagonism but rather of complementarity. The third and final chapter attempts to show how the nature of the One itself is closely connected to the idea of conversion. Indeed, it seems that the very activity of the First Principle is a kind of « turning inward ».

Keyphrases: Plotin, Conversion, Procession, Conscience, Un, Tradition, Plotinus, Enneads, Consciousness, Freedom, One, Language, Salvation
Le mouvement chez Lucrèce : de la voluptas au fluctus

This dissertation attempts to combine a theoretical analysis of Lucretius’ De rerum natura with a study of its language, both being interconnected in a consistent, dialectical manner. The theme under which this consistency appears most clearly is that of movement: words move and flow around to the reader’s greatest pleasure (firstly for the pleasure of knowledge, and for aesthetic pleasure), just as animate bodies move with fluidity, with pleasure as a driving force and as a guide. The acknowledgement of the role of voluptas can help to get a better understanding of the outbreak of natural phenomena, more globally. Pleasure, as it is felt by animate beings, translates more generally in nature into a sort of homeostasis, viz. a tendency towards equilibirum. Even though matter is in constant movement, perpetually leaving one state for another in whirling motions, and even though our world grew out of innumerable swirls of matter, stability remains the ultimate outcome of nature’s quest - a never-ending quest that is itself in perpetual movement. There exists a rhythmical theory of the soul applicable to humans, which Lucretius tries to communicate to whoever is willing to hear - not only by translating the works of Epicurus in Latin, but also by using « natural » poetry. This rhythm is that of Lucretian hexameters. In that sense, the De rerum natura is a perfect embodiment of didactic poetry, poetry that teaches through both substance and form.

Keyphrases: De rerum natura, Poésie latine, Lucretius, Epicurus, Epicurean, Epicureanism, Epicurean physics, Epicurean ethics, Pleasure, Movement, Didactic poetry, Latin poetry
The state of commercial shops in the ancient Greek world and its colonies during the Archaic and Classical periods

Much has come to light following the discovery of the large commercial building at ancient Argilos in recent years, almost as much as the questions it prompted. One of the earliest structures of its type, the series of rooms that make up ‘Building L’ are recognized as individual shops that can be dated as early as the Archaic period. Seemingly unique in its design, the structure resembled a Hellenistic stoa, although it did not include a colonnade before the rooms. The structure became a point of interest, especially regarding its utilization in a commercial context and whether its distinctive design might be found elsewhere in the ancient Greek world. In so doing, we can acquire a more thorough understanding of the functions and architectural development of such a building, as well as its broader connection to the economic and social circumstances of ancient Greek life. There has been much scholarship devoted to the study of ancient Greek architecture and urbanism, specifically the economic activity carried out in the market areas of the Hellenistic period. Yet there remains insufficient research in these areas concerning earlier periods. More specifically, there is no comprehensive study dedicated to the state of commercial structures during the Archaic and Classical periods. Previous publications, such as those of J.J. Coulton and Susan Rotroff, have examined the uses and development of Greek stoas and other possible commercial structures in Athens, respectively. Unlike the Hellenistic period, that saw the preeminence of the Hellenistic stoa, there does not seem to be a single defined architectural form for commercial shops in earlier periods. This thesis proposes to contend this point, to present a methodical study of Archaic and Classical commercial architecture by providing individual case studies, which are also pertinent to the historical narrative, economic growth, and cultural trade of the period. Thus, revealing a pattern in the architectural design of commercial structures located in ancient Greece and its colonies during the Archaic and Classical periods.

Keyphrases: commercial structure, stoa, Greek architecture, trade, colonies, Archaic, Classical, agora, military agora, architectural development, archaeology, structure commerciale, architecture grecque
L’écriture autofictionnelle dans La carte et le territoire de Michel Houellebecq et L’été de la vie de J.M. Coetzee

Having become one of the pioneering genres in contemporary and ultra-contemporary literature, legitimized and favoured by numerous writers, autofiction takes various forms. Michel Houellebecq, in La Carte et le territoire (2010), and J.M. Coetzee, in Summertime (2009), explore an original subgenre of autofiction : autofiction spéculaire, based on the concept introduced by Vincent Colonna. We are proposing a reading of the two novels that situates them in this stream, namely through the use of the processes of mise en abyme (literally, “placed into abyss”) and metalepsis. In their respective novels, Houellebecq and Coetzee are given the status of characters. They use two rare processes: third-person autofiction through the viewpoint of fictional characters and they depict their own death. They thus create a game through which they seek, not without irony and through fiction, to recreate their own public image and, beyond which, to influence their place in the literary world. The interpretation of fictional processes of self-recreation reveals the role played by the author’s characters and the effect on the reader of their successive representations during the narrative. The comparative exploration of the two novels uses the notions of character-effect and posture in order to understand Houellebecq and Coetzee’s intentions. Lastly, the discussion on the autofiction spéculaire reveals a game of mirrors and reflections developed by Houellebecq and Coetzee so that they can represent themselves as writers – one as a great author and the other as a Nobel prize winner – compared to their depiction of a real man without any qualities which they enjoy portraying.

Keyphrases: Autofiction, mise en abyme, Houellebecq, Coetzee, specular narrative
Par-delà tous les genres : queering Victor-Lévy Beaulieu, suivi de Querelle de Roberval (roman)

The critical perspectives of Queering propose to study literary works that do not seem to lend themselves to it a priori in the light of gender studies. The essay Beyond all Genders : Queering Victor-Levy Beaulieu proposes a "queering" approach revised by the reader-response theory as well as by the deconstruction of Jacques Derrida, a methodological framework from which it is possible to produce an "actualizing reading" (Citton) of the novel Satan Belhumeur, published in 1981 by Victor-Lévy Beaulieu. A careful analysis of the construction of gender in fiction allows an original interpretation of the political dimension of the work, making it possible to argue that the final scene of the novel aims at "resigning from the nation and the gender" (Preciado). Querelle de Roberval is a process of queering in the form of a novel. Exploring the current legacy of revolutionary syndicalism, this "labor union fiction" relates the strike between the employees of a small sawmill and their boss. The character of Querelle, borrowed from the work of Jean Genet, constitutes an element of rout in the story. From a narrative and stylistic point of view, Querelle sows chaos. His sexual desire brings to light the constitution of the sexist and heteronormal gender that underlies the social imaginary of labor as well as the contemporary political discourses. Querelle de Roberval, by queering the territory and the "quarrel" of workers, begins a deconstruction of the authoritarian quest of a master in politics and literature.

Keyphrases: Roman contemporain, Victor-Lévy Beaulieu, Jean Genet, Queer theory, Reader-response theory, Quebec literature, Deconstruction, Contemporary novel, Creative writing, Syndicalism
Le livre est mort, vive le livre! L’obsession bibliophilique chez Charles Nodier

Charles Nodier is one of the most renowned bibliophiles in his time. His passion, at times obsessive, largely guided his career (of librarian, ancient book collector, bibliographer, editor), but also left its mark in his literary work. He is, in spite of himself, a witness of the great changes taking place in the book trade during the Restoration. In the nineteenth century, the industrialization of the book leads to an increase in print runs as well as a decrease of its material quality. As this trend intensifies, Nodier’s reactions became more and more virulent, to the point that he condemns even the invention of the printing press. The general purpose of this study is to analyze the role of bibliophilia in the literary works of Nodier, especially in the Histoire du roi de Bohême et de ses sept châteaux. The first two chapters of this work focus on the book-object, then on the library as a novelistic structure. The third and final chapter reconciles some of the most incompatible positions adopted by Nodier: though he was a bibliophile, he criticizes the book, partly because his linguistics researches led his to a condemnation of the alphabet. Thus, this last section looks at the reproaches that Nodier addresses to the book, and then at the means he used to free it from the weaknesses of the letter by rehabilitating the reader’s senses.

Keyphrases: Charles Nodier, 19th-century French literature, Novel, History of books, Romanticism, Bibliophilia
Matérialité et transgression du corps obscène dans les oeuvres de Catherine Millet, Catherine Breillat et Julie Doucet

This thesis explores discourses on the body and sexuality through artworks that are created by women and that portray the female body unconventionally. More precisely, we are interested in artworks that transcends the female sexual body by using and reclaiming strategies commonly associated to the pornographic genre. Thus, we seek to demonstrate that the materialization of the body allows its liberation and the construction of a new discourse and a new representation of the female body and women’s sexuality. The uniqueness of this analysis lies within the use of artwork from three different media.  The first chapter focuses on the novel “La vie sexuelle de Catherine M.” by Catherine Millet and addresses the question of the pornographic testimony. The second chapter investigates the relationship between the romantic and pornographic genre through the analysis of “Romance”, a movie directed by Catherine Breillat.  The third chapter will explore the singular universe of comic book artist Julie Doucet in fanzine “Dirty Plotte” in which she deconstructs the feminine image by representing the female body as grotesque, sexual, and violent.  To conclude, these three works of art are brought together to reveal their many points of convergence. We tackle the moral and societal transgression of the perception of the female sexual body, the abjection of the female body, and the subversion of the pornographic genre as a means to produce metapornographic work.

Keyphrases: Transgression, Transgression, Feminism, Sexuality, Body, Pornography, Cinema, Literature, Comic book
Transmission et traduction du récit de voyage de Bougainville et de son épisode malouin

This thesis is a comparative study of the transmission and translation of Louis-Antoine de Bougainville’s voyage around the world. I will explore by which means and mediations, and in spite of which limitations, the narration of this expedition was transmitted to us. For this purpose, I will focus on his publication A voyage round the world, as well as some other accounts that impacted the reception of his travels.  I will begin by highlighting certain tensions inherent to Bougainville’s writings, alternating between scientific factuality and literary embellishment, and between national loyalty and cosmopolitan values. I will argue that such contradictions reflect a larger reconfiguration of the conditions of knowledge and storytelling taking place during the 1760s and 1770s. I will also study the way in which Bougainville’s narration was read, interpreted and appropriated during the eighteenth century, by considering the British and French versions of his text as a space of political and scientific competition. The translation written by Johann Reinhold Forster will be analyzed as an act of cultural appropriation, marking the beginning of a struggle between both authors for their nations’ honor, as well as for scientific prestige. Furthermore, I will focus on Bougainville’s stay in the Malvinas Islands by comparing his account with that of Antoine-Joseph Pernety, member of a previous expedition. This episode indeed plays an essential role in Bougainville’s narration, as well as in debates that continue to this day in the spheres of politics and memory. I will conclude this study by analyzing Denis Diderot’s Addendum to the Journey of Bougainville, which fills an important gap in Bougainville’s narration by recreating the voice of the victims of the precolonial process—of which the navigator was an active participant.  This study of the different discourses surrounding A voyage round the world will rest upon an analysis of the rhetorical effects created by the various authors and editors examined in this work—in the text and paratext of the original editions and reeditions.

Keyphrases: Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, Johann Reinhold Forster, Antoine-Joseph Pernety, Denis Diderot, Travel literature, Eighteenth century, Translation, Malvinas, Falkland Islands