If a fashion collection leaves us easily disconcerted, thinking about the works of art and other cultural productions that it reminds us of can help us understand it better. Furthermore, designers often make more or less explicit and conscious references to what affects their retinas. This is why the great fashion journalist and author Laurence Bénaïm (biographer of Monsieur Yves Saint Laurent, sorry) chose to make design pieces and works from the Center Pompidou dialogue according to her own subjectivity.
This artistic conversation will take place from January 24 to April 22, 2024 on the fifth floor of the National Museum of Modern Art. Laurence Bénaïm thus shows echoes between a photo of Christian Dior’s famous Bar suit, from the seminal spring-summer 1947 haute couture collection, with Ellsworth Kelly’s white monochrome, ” White on black III ” (2015). Almost to demonstrate how this New Look was a blank slate for the time.
A handcrafted cape made from nineteen recycled hats from Maison Martin Margiela’s Autumn-Winter 2004-2005 collection resonates with ” The Returner » (winter 1917 – 1918) by Giorgio De Chirico, to underline its metaphysical dimension. A survivalist silhouette by Marine Serre composed of a neo-crinoline over a jumpsuit for spring-summer 2021 responds to Marcel Duchamp’s (1914-1915) “Neuf Moules Mâlic”. A metal and lace corset immersed in a silver bath by Jean Paul Gaultier for autumn-winter 1987-1988 responds to the nun so scandalous because she was laid bare by the painter Wilhelm Freddie in “ Nonnens good » (Religious prayer, 1937). Or the alien dress embroidered with acid-toned pearls by Kevin Germanier for spring-summer 2022 vibrates together with the pearls of love of “ Liebesperlen » by Ulrike Ottinger.
In total, there are 17 fashion silhouettes and works by modern and contemporary artists that resonate in the heart of the Center Pompidou.
“The crossroads of appearances” exhibition, from 24 January to 22 April 2024, on the 5th floor of the Center Pompidou (Georges-Pompidou Square, 75004 Paris).
On February 28, from 7pm to 7.20pm, cabaret artist Romain Brau will perform a reading of texts written by Laurence Benaïm, in the form of letters to creators and couturiers.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
