JULES CHÉRET - THE SPIRIT AND THE GRACE
EVIAN - Born in 1836, Jules Chéret is considered, rightly so, the inventor of the modern poster. All of his vast production (nearly 1000 posters) is proof of his extraordinary creativity. Chéret succeeded in allying spirit and grace in his advertisement material praising shows, celebrations and products of all sorts. The downside of this success is that it left the artist’s painted work in the shadow …
Palais Lumière, until September 21
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DANDYISMS – A HISTORY OF SEDUCTION
ANDILLAC - The aim of the exhibition is to approach the phenomenon of dandyism in the XIXth century and to mention the continuation throughout the XXth and XXIst centuries. This manifestation, which began in 2007 with an exhibit at the Cayla Castle-museum, chooses as a starting line the friendship between Jules Barbey d’Aurevilly and Maurice de Guérin, whose birth house is occupied by the musée du Cayla. It is a way of linking the author with a movement of thinking of his time in order to better situate him in his era and look at the repercussions it has today. This second part presented today at the Cayla Castle-museum underlines dandyism as a «fashion» phenomenon, an element of appearance and of social codes.
Château-musée du Cayla, until October 28
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HUMANITIES - THE BODY(IES) OF A COLLECTION
SOREZE - This exhibition is a great first time for the Abby-school of Sorèze. It marks the opening to the public of the temporary exhibition rooms, included in the museum itinerary and designed as an historic or artistic extension. In order to mark this birth, the mixed syndicate chose to propose to the public works that are special, in more than one way. Indeed, it associated itself for this event with another abbey, the abbey of Auberive in the Haute-Marne region, whose owner, Jean-Claude Volot, a businessman from the Tarn region, has been a collector of modern and contemporary art for a number of years.
Abbaye-école de Sorèze, until September 28
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CHRISTIAN LACROIX AT THE MUSÉE RÉATTU
ARLES - The musée Réattu, the museum of fine arts of the city of Arles, has invited one of its most famous dreamers, Christian Lacroix, to occupy the 2.000 m2 of this famous palace of the Renaissance, the former Grand-Priory of the Order of Malta, where he headed for as a teenager when he skipped school once a week and which became the first laboratory of his dreams as an artist.
Musée Réattu, until October 31
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CHRISTIAN LACROIX AT THE RENCONTRES DE LA PHOTO
ARLES – This is the great year for Christian Lacroix in Arles. The couturier has been invited to his town to design an exhibition at the musée Réattu. In this beginning of the Summer, he is also at the head of the Rencontres internationales de la photographie (The International Photography Encounters). He has invited creators whose work he likes and of which some have covered his work. They have be active in the fashion world (Paolo Roversi or Peter Lindbergh who likes to place his models at Beauduc in the Camargue region) or not (like Grégoire Korganow, honored twice, for his portraits of prisoners' wives and his neophyte look on the backstage of fashion parades). Joachim Schmid is one of the curiosities of this edition. He is not photographer but has been collecting for a quarter of a century anonymous cliches found in the street: properly numbered they are an original «cadavre exquis» of our society.
Several locations, until September 14
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LAIB AND POLLEN
GRENOBLE – At the beginning of the seventies Wolfgang Laib (born in 1950) sculpted in Turkey a «brahmanda», that is an egg shaped stone. The women thought it was a meteorite and convinced themselves it would bring about fertility. This is undoubtedly the most beautiful tribute paid to the German artist, who always looked for his inspiration in nature. He has taken over the museum of Grenoble with his emblematic works: small rice mountains, areas covered with the pollen he gathers daily in the spring, walls covered with bees' wax and «milk stones».
iMusée de Grenoble, until September 28
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BRUNO LUCCHI
MOUGINS - Born in 1951 at Levico Terme, in the region of the Trentino-Alto Adige, Bruno Lucchi is a discreet and determined artist whose creative universe has evolved steadfastly and in a reflected manner. His research has focused in particular on the imagination of the Mediterranean culture. Bruno Lucchi is a very active creator who has shared his vision of the world with the public during more than 150 personal exhibitions and 300 collective events.
Espace culturel, until September 14
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THE MUSÉE DÉPARTEMENTAL DU TEXTILE REOPENS ITS DOORS
LABASTIDE-ROUAIROUX - After six months of works and two years of being closed, the Department’s Textile Museum will open its doors again as of 11 July 2008 to offer the public an entirely revisited itinerary on the textile know-how of the Tarn department in the XXth century. The museum team used this period of time advisedly to investigate, collect and carry out a census of new machines, objects and archive documents.
Musée départemental du textile
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NUNC EST Bibendum !!.. - A GRAPHIC MYTH SINCE 1898
CLERMONT-FERRAND - Bibendum, the Michelin Man, was born in 1898. It was named the «best logo of the century» in 2000 by an international jury appointed by the Financial Times. Present throughout the five continents, transformed according to the taste of its creators and the country concerned, Bibendum has imposed itself as an essential figure of popular iconography. Over the last 110 years, it has trespassed its commercial objective and created a sentimental link with the public. With the passing of time, it has changed its attitude and expression and now represents both the product and its user, while adapting to the current precepts of communication.
Musée d’art Roger-Quilliot, until August 31
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SIMENON'S EYE
MOUGINS - Of course we all know Georges Simenon, the writer, and probably even more his fetish novel hero. On the other hand we know very little about his photographic work. Yet Maigret’s fame was preceded, as of the end of the twenties, by Simenon’s photographic activity.
Musée de la photographie André Villers, until September 14
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GRÉGOIRE SOLOTAREFF AND HIS POPULAR PICTURES
MOULINS - Deeply cosmopolitan – of Russian-Lebanese origin, and born in Alexandria - Grégoire Solotareff recreated by means of images, another universe all of his own. This exhibition pays tribute to his eye and the variety of his artistic expressions.
Centre de l’Illustration, until October 12
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TRACES OF ANTHRACITE
CAGNAC-LES-MINES - The last testimony on site of the exploitation of coal in the Tarn region, the Museum-mine of the « département” sheds a light that is both technical and social on seven centuries of coal history. Only a few elements survive from this long epic, like relics from a past that vanishes little by little. Photographer Philippe Larroque endeavoured in underlining its marks.
Musée-mine départemental, until October 5
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VAN DONGEN, SOLID AS A ROCK
MONACO – Fauvism, continuation and end? After Vlaminck, following the Hungarian Fauvist artists, here is Van Dongen, served by an ambitious retrospective of 200 works of which 130 paintings. It is been held in Monaco, as an anticipation of the futur NMNM (Nouveau Musée National Monaco), that will open in 2009 at villa Paloma before migrating in 2015 to a new building that remains to be built. The choice of Van Dongen is natural: it was in the Principality that he died in 1968, at the age of 91. Maybe to take some distance from the current success with Fauvism, the commissaries gave preference to other periods of the artist: before 1905, with his satirical drawings, or during the roaring twenties when he became the favorite portrait artist of the High society, from marquise Casati to Anna de Noailles.
Salle d’Exposition du Quai Antoine Ier, until September 7
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LE VIELLEUX - Metamorphosis of an artist's figure from the XVIIth to the XIXth century
JEAN-MARC CERINO... dans les lanières des seuils
BOURG-EN-BRESSE – The exhibition unveils the multiple transformations of the image of the hurdy-gurdy player. Beggars of the 17th century, saints or outcasts exiled on the roads are the ancestors of the little Savoyards of the 19th century: it is a mosaic of imaginary or real representations, often contrasted, which the visitor is invited to discover.
Monastère royal de Brou, until October 5
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CARRIE MAE WEEMS – CONSTRUCTING HISTORY: A REQUIEM TO SEIZE THE INSTANT
LACOSTE - The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) presents the first European screening of Carrie Mae Weems' latest movie. Constructing History explores the human rights movement both in the USA and elsewhere in the world. With the help of movie and video excerpts and pieces of music used to evoke flashbacks, Carrie Mae Weems revisits and restages man’s fight for freedom.
Savannah College of Art and Design, until August 28
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