Curator: Rainer Michael Mason
Lee Ufan Arles takes part in the second edition of the Festival du Dessin and will host the exhibition
" Henri Michaux Sur Fonds Noirs
Curated by Rainer Michael Mason, this exhibition will feature some sixty pieces from the artist's archives, enhanced by loans from collectors.
"Henri Michaux (1899-1984), universally known, is the poet of a language that is tight and to the point. Yet, for almost six decades, right up until the eve of his death, he never stopped drawing and painting, writing signs that are so many figures, looks and movements. According to his own, undoubtedly unusual admission, his aim was to get away from the "verbal", to clear his mind. Within Henri Michaux's immense body of work, one particular section stands out: the drawings and paintings he produced on black paper or on a black background, in a chronological arc from 1937 to 1981. A comment from 1938, in which he talks about himself, gives an early indication of the importance of this part of his plastic production: "Michaux paints curiously on black backgrounds, hermetically black. Black is his crystal ball. From black alone he sees life emerge. A completely invented life. In the course of some sixty sheets, rich in emergencies, Henri Michaux allows what the living viewer invents to happen."
Rainer Michael Mason
April 20 to May 19, 2024
Every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Exhibition accessible with Lee Ufan Arles ticket or Drawing Festival Pass.