The mayor of Rennes Nathalie Appéré photographs the whim of the artist Adel Abdessemed. Here exhibited in Rennes during the presentation of the Pinault exhibition. – C. Allain / 20 Minutes
- The owner of Stade Rennais François Pinault has loaned part of his contemporary art collection for a major exhibition which opens in Rennes this Saturday.
- Organized around black and white, it presents several famous works by the billionaire, such as Zidane’s “The Coup de tête” on Materazzi.
- In 2018, the first edition of the exhibition attracted more than 100,000 people to the Couvent des Jacobins.
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Let’s start with a confession. Friday morning, we weren’t very excited about the idea of discovering the exhibition dedicated to the Pinault collection. Why ? Because contemporary art scares us a little. Because he suffers from a sometimes snobbish image for those who know nothing about it. We therefore tiptoed through the door of the Convent of the Jacobins, without really knowing what sauce we were going to be eaten. After two hours of a guided tour by former minister Jean-Jacques Aillagon, we came out charmed. Because it’s accessible, varied and there are a lot of stories to tell. And for those under 26, it’s free!
Like the first edition called “Debout” which attracted 100,000 visitors in 2018, this second exhibition could appeal to an even wider audience, in particular through the fame of certain artists such as Jeff Koons, photographers Raymond Depardon and Henri Cartier- Bresson or the monumental “coup de tête” by Zidane directed by Adel Abdessemed. Called “Beyond Color”,
the exhibition which opens this SaturdayAnd will last all summer presents only black and white works, or almost. “In his office, François Pinault only has white works. It is a form of sobriety. A choice which repudiates the emphasis, the chatter, the excess ”, slips the commissioner Jean-Jacques Aillagon, who works for the Breton billionaire.
Mayor Nathalie Appéré abounds. “This proposal is exceptional. It bears witness to the proliferation of contemporary art in Rennes ”. Several side exhibitions are organized around the Pinault collection, united under a banner called Exporama. At the Couvent des Jacobins, the works of the collector François Pinault are “only works of the first choice”, according to the curator. Which nevertheless had to do with the opening of the Bourse du Commerce, in Paris, the new museum of the wealthy collector. Here are some of the works that have marked us.
The dead flies by Damien Hirst
Imagine a blackboard three by three meters where thousands of dead flies are stuck. Art ? Without a doubt. Called “Cancer”, this work by Damien Hirst is a cemetery for insects covered with resin, on which the symbol of toxicity is imprinted. “This work has an organic character. You can feel it when you take it out of its storage case, ”says the curator of the exhibition. We did not dare ask him what odor could emanate from this sanctuary of flies.
Roman Opalka’s white on white figures
A white triptych. A “monochrome Whiteman”, as the Strangers joked in the film The three brothers ? Approach and you will see that it is not. On these canvases, Roman Opalka has inscribed an infinite number of numbers written in white on a slightly gray support. Her name ? “4875812-4932016”. Repeat after us … The story goes that the painter had to be hospitalized for several weeks, as if traumatized by the painting of tens of thousands of figures. Her heart was suffering from severe rhythm disturbances.
Edith Dekyndt’s horse blood
It is not the most imposing work in the exhibition. But it is undoubtedly one of the strangest. To make her painting, Edith Dekyndt used horse blood, which she placed on her canvas. As it dries, the work has become very dark and intriguing. “Art is in the news, it questions. We see it with the debate on slaughterhouses, ”slips the commissioner.
Adel Abdessemed’s whim
This 5 meter high bronze statue is monumental! Installed outside because of its weight, “The head shot” is a faithful reproduction of the ball shot by Zinedine Zidane at the Italian Marco Materazzi during the final of the World Cup in 2006. “It’s an image. which circulated around the world. We chose it to end the exhibition in a monumental way, ”explains Jean-Jacques Aillagon. It succeeded.
Richard Avedon’s Napalm Burns
Photographer Richard Avedon is a monster. To the point that it offers itself a place of choice in the Pinault collections. Through the portrait of four women disfigured by napalm during the Vietnam War, the artist bears witness to the ravages of armed conflict. Black and white takes on its full meaning to magnify mutilated bodies. Equally moving is his work at the Louisiana psychiatric hospital in 1963. A tribute to his sister Louise.
The Bear and the Rabbit by Paul McCarthy
It is this work that was chosen for the cover of the catalog and most of the communication media. No doubt because it shows joy, it seems childish and it feels good. Imagined by Paul McCarthy, the work of the rabbit and the bear on their rock makes you smile. Perhaps because misplaced minds will see it as coitus. Or simply because these puppets have a dazzling smile on their face. “It’s an invitation to overcome prejudices about others. On the sex, the color. It is an invitation to live together, ”explains Jean-Jacques Aillagon.
Where, when and how?
The exhibition “Beyond Color” is presented at the Couvent des Jacobins from June 12 to August 29. At the same time, the Museum of Fine Arts will offer an exhibition called “The Raw Color”. For both exhibitions, free entry for those under 26 and at 2 euros for holders of the Sortir card. Full price: 10 euros.
As part of Exporama, around thirty proposals are open at the Criée d’art contemporain, the Champs Libres, the FRAC, the Ateliers du vent or even in the 40 m² gallery.
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