Chinese artist Yue Minjun will be on show at the Fondation Cartier from November 14, 2012 for a major retrospective of his work.
Entitled “L’Ombre d’un Fou Rire”, this exhibition is a first in Europe and well worth a visit to the Left Bank. If only to (re)visit the pleasant space designed by Jean Nouvel, a veritable showcase for all forms of art.
L’ombre du fou rire” exhibition by Yue Minjun at the Fondation Cartier
Born in 1962, this contemporary painter and sculptor has become a key figure on the international scene since the 90s; through 40 paintings, on loan from collections around the world, and numerous drawings, almost all previously unpublished, you’ll discover Yue Minjun’s cynical, sometimes distressing universe.
Both famous and, it is said, particularly discreet, the artist often depicts himself in his famous self-portraits, with their disturbing laughter.
Interview with artist Yue Minjun at the opening of L’Ombre du Fou rire”.
These repeated laughs, sometimes duplicated almost ad infinitum on a canvas, are like an outlet for this Chinese citizen with a critical eye on his country. While standardization and industrialization spearhead China’s development, the artist plays with it, openly mocking the absurdity of the modern world. He ironizes: it’s only a small step from laughter to nervousness.
Yet these are joyful, colorful, rhythmic paintings that you can contemplate, while at the same time perceiving in each canvas a burst of laughter, like a cry launched at our figures. There’s a disturbing realism in his work, as much as it conveys the anguish of our civilization…
Painting “Isolated Island” © Yue Minjun (2010)
Skeptical at first, I was surprised to come to appreciate his games and the underlying subtlety. His scripts are subtle, his brushstrokes direct and his vision sincere.
It is here, in the “shadow of laughter”, that Yue Minjun’s mystery and power are revealed!
The exhibition is open daily, except Mondays, from 11am to 7pm until March 17, 2013
Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain
261, boulevard Raspail, 75014 Paris (France)
Full price: €9.50 / concessions: €6.50
And as always in the Fondation Cartier’s programming, I recommend the children’s activities (Wednesday or Saturday) and the Nuits Nomades, a monthly event dedicated to the performing arts.
Jessica Gauzi
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