}

Profiles

15 Years of Artistic Creation in France

May 10 - June 25, 2006

Where does the French artistic scene stand as regards to the last fifteen years? What are its eminent character traits? What are its dominant trends? Were there notable changes that had transformed its features? These are some of the questions brought into play by this idea of sketching a “profile” and not a “panorama” of its present status. The semantic differentiation between these two words is quite imposing here. If the notion of panorama supposes a scope and an extent which imply a broadened vision of the situation, that of profile does not make out the same meaning and sooner accentuates the idea of an overview, a digest, following the example of an artist who endeavors to give a thumbnail sketch of his model in an attempt to express its essential traits.

The first chapter of Fernand Braudel’s remarkable work “The Identity of France – History and Environment” published in 1986 bears the title “That France names herself diversity”. As a reply to this precious turn of phrase, the exposition “Profiles”, albeit far from being exhaustive, gather some 60 works by about 40 artists, nationals and foreigners, living and working in France, presenting a sample group of contemporary creation merging all trends and styles.

As its organizer, the famous art critic Philippe Piguet put it, this exposition “which intended to highlight a present state of art production as it developed in France more or less in the last fifteen years and what is more insomuch as it is sifted through sieves of public collections” blew like a spring breeze wafting a gentle air from France into the halls of Pera Museum, and gave the contemporary artistic panorama of a country that has always been amongst the vanguards of European Art.

Curator: Philippe Piguet

Artists: Adel Abdessemed, Adam Adach, Jean-Michel Alberola, Stephan Balkenhol, Claude Closky, Philippe Cognee, Stephen Dean, Richard Fauguet, Gregory Forstner, Bernard Frize, Jakob Gautel, Philippe Gronon, Marie-Ange Guilleminot, Pierre Joseph, Jason Karaindros , Regine Kolle, Christian Lapie, Natacha Lesueur, Isabelle Levenez, Olivier Masmonteil, Didier Mencoboni, Yan-Pei Ming, Jean-Luc Moulene, Bruno Perramant, Bernard Piffaretti, Pascal Pinaud, Eric Poitevin, Philippe Ramette, Sophie Ristelhueber, Georges Rousse, Samuel Rousseau, Yvan Salomone, Sarkis, Anne-Marie Schneider, Kristina Solomoukha, Barthelemy Toguo, Patrick Tosani, Xavier Zimmermann

Exhibition Catalogue

Profiles

Profiles

Where does the French artistic scene stand in regard to the last fifteen years? What are its eminent character traits? What are its dominant trends? Did nay notable change come about to transform...

Is he sping on us?  <br>Vajiko Chachkhiani

Is he sping on us?
Vajiko Chachkhiani

Pera Museum, in collaboration with Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), is one of the main venues for this year’s 15th Istanbul Biennial from 16 September to 12 November 2017.

Medicinal Herbs in Byzantium

Medicinal Herbs in Byzantium

Knowledge of plants and the practice of healing are closely entwined. The toxic or hallucinogenic nature of some roots, and the dangers associated with picking them, conferred a mythical or magical character and power. 

Girl in a Blue Dress

Girl in a Blue Dress

This life-size portrait of a girl is a fine example of the British art of portrait painting in the early 18th century. The child is shown posing on a terrace, which is enclosed at the right foreground by the plinth of a pillar; the background is mainly filled with trees and shrubs.