}

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...

Istanbul’s Historical Peninsula in 18th and 19th Century Paintings

Istanbul’s Historical Peninsula in 18th and 19th Century Paintings

With the Topkapı Palace, the center of political authority until the 19th century, and many other examples of classical Ottoman and Byzantine architecture included in its premise the Historical Peninsula is the heart of the Empire. 

Shaping Forms  The Migrant Body / Shaping Ideologies

Shaping Forms The Migrant Body / Shaping Ideologies

Constituting the entirety of all the perceived aspects of an object creating their own order, form not only contains visual elements and characteristics, but can also help elucidate concepts. 

Nam June Paik Video Art’s Pioneer

Nam June Paik Video Art’s Pioneer

Nam June Paik was video art’s pioneer (1932 –2006). It is interesting that while Warhol and Nameth were experimenting with psychedelic happenings that combined rock, film and performance, the video art pioneers Nam June Paik, Stephen Beck, Eric Siegel and Steina Vasulka were researching in a similar direction.