With the exhibition Genre Idéal? exhibition at the Maison du 68 Champs-Elysées, until November 12. Associated with the Parcours Privé at FIAC, this annual event, the fruit of a long-standing collaboration with the international fair, bears witness to Guerlain’s special relationship with the contemporary art scene.
For this ninth edition, exhibition curator Caroline Messensee proposes a selection of works exploring gender(s).
More than ever a contemporary theme, our society offers an abundance of symbols and cultural figures, constantly raising the question of gender.
Biological destiny, social and cultural acceptance, hierarchical power relationships, sexual identity? The public will be invited to take on the gaze of others, who often judge, sometimes even condemn, conditioned by a society that for centuries has followed a pattern predefined by patriarchy.
Going beyond the realm of the intimate, it is the concept of representations in its various acceptations that will form the heart of the subject: stereotypes, archetypes, transgressions give rise to a profusion of images that constantly question questions of identity and belonging. Plural conceptions, multiple realities? unable to break the rules of gender(s), the Genre Idéal? exhibition features a selection of works that explore this complex notion through an approach that is at times symbolic, poetic, or more introspective.
It echoes the notion of mixity dear to the House of Guerlain and its perfume designer Thierry Wasser: “With perfume, it’s all about love and harmony. The distinction between men and women is an illusion. Why shouldn’t men wear rose- or lilac-based fragrances? In gastronomy, we all love strawberries and chocolate, regardless of gender.
With works by:
Vanessa Beecroft, Valérie Belin, Jean Cocteau, Oda Jaune, David LaChapelle, Christopher Makos, Javier Perez, Pierre et Gilles, Bettina Rheims, Elsa Sahal, Claire Tabouret, Agnès Thurnauer, Joana Vasconcelos, Li Yongbin.
Practical information:
Exhibition from October 16 to November 12, 2015
Monday to Saturday: 10:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. – Sunday: 12 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Maison Guerlain – 68, avenue des Champs-Elysées – 75008 Paris
Free admission
Cette publication est également disponible en :
