Ilana Custos Quatreville was born in Paris in 1999 and grew up in the French West Indies. She pursued a law degree with a specialization in authors’ and artists’ rights while her passion for visual arts, creation, and innovation continued to develop. Upon completing her master’s degree at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, she joined the visiting student program at Columbia University, where she expanded her knowledge through fine arts courses in film and photographic mediums.
In this time, she developed a profound interest in theories that delve into the relationship between space, perception, and the emotional experiences arising from interactions with various mediums. Notably, she engaged with the theories of Juhani Pallasmaa, particularly his exploration of lived space in film as presented in his seminal work, The Architecture of Image, as well as Nicolas Leresche’s current research on the spatial dimensions of spectacular replication devices through architectural and material elements, and the representations and affects they evoke.
In addition to her academic pursuits, Ilana gained initial experience through apprenticeships within cultural institutions and artist residencies, focusing on production and cultural management in Paris, New York, and Rome. These hands-on experiences deepened her aspiration to engage with the plastic arts, leading her to explore the spatial design of performances and consider how the arrangement of space can shape and elevate artistic narratives.