Arts et culture d'Avignon à Menton
Exhibitions - Archives
La Beauté
in Avignon
Björk Nick Knight et Alexander Mc Queen
European cultural capital
The
« Cité des Papes » has decided for the jubilee
to present Beauty under its various aspects to visistors. The five
majors themes chosen are enhanced in dozen of places sometimes quite
unusual.
In the « Palais des Papes », the exhibition
« La beauté in fabula » declines this notion
through our emotions : dreams, wories, wanderings, violences, fears
or seductions, fleshly desires or spiritual extases. To illustrate
them, objects and creations of all periods and cultures are exhibited.
Camille Claudel, Hans Holbein the young, Piranese and many others
give us their interpretation. Thanks to sounds or visual arrangements,
cinema and fashion, works of great contemporary artists as Christian
Boltansky, Bill Viola or Jame sTurrel, visitors can discover places
places specially opened for this occasion.
The « Jardin
des Doms » with « Nature at work »balances the
precedent exhibition. Men have sometimes difficulties in equalling
the work of mother nature. Stone eroded
by the
elements, fabulous animals or insects are sources of inspiration
and permanent models for artists. The mingling of nature and the
artist's imagination can produce great works as the plastic and
fashion creations shown side by side.
At the junction of nature
and human intervention, « Décor à corps »
in the « Clos des Trams » presents the multiple transformation
our body can go through. The body may serve as support to all kind
of creations. Land of expression reflecting our time, the body can
be a field of exploration with no boundaries. Clothes, make-up,
ornaments enable this game of appearences. Every one can actually
experience it by visiting this exhibition.
Spread out in a dozen
of site sin town, the « Labo du beau » are the incarnation
of the universe proper to each artist. To penetrate the mecanism
of creation becomes possible in these various and sometimes original
places -churches, mansions, closed down factories, public buildings
town houses, social buildings. This is an opening to
all the cultures and forms of art with, for example, the monks of
Gyüto, Tibet, and Hussein Chalayan. More famous artists as
David Lynch, Takeshi Kitano or Philippe Starck have created for
this celebration , original works.
Beyond these temporary exhibition,
some installations will remain in Avignon. The poet and artist Vita
Acconci has directed the construction of a skatepark and Niele Toroni
bowling fields. Gaetano Pesce for the exhibition « nature
at work » at the « Jardin des Doms » has edified
a flavour pavilion in reference to the XVIIIe century extravaganza.
Music has also its place with the Mix Shake at the « Jardin
Neuf » host of Laurent Garnier and Alex Turi electronic creations.
Finally, the guided walk through these different exhibitions has
been realised by Christian Lacroix revealing us his vision of the
city in a poetic and festive scenography.
Emmanuel Boutinard - June 1998 - Translated by D. Prouteau
Photo: Devon
Nick Knight et Alexander Mc Queen par Nick Knight, The Crossing
Bill Viola par Kira Perov, Björk Nick Knight et Alexander Mc Queen par Nick
Knight
29th April-17th September, tel. 0 803 808 803
« La beauté
in fabula » Palais des Papes
« La nature à
l'ouvre » Jardin des Doms
« Décors à
corps » Clos des trams
« Les labo du beau »
Pass 100 f