Philippe Decoufflen at the Moulin Costume Museum, Julien des Monstiers in Chambord, Marissa Mertz at LaM… Our five cultural must-sees

Bonnard and Japan

Pierre Bonnard, once nicknamed the “Japanese Nabi”, is interested in ukiyo-e prints. “image of a floating world’ that he collected throughout his life. True, since Japan’s first participation in the 1967 Universal Exposition, Japanism has become fashionable. The Hôtel de Caumont is dedicating its summer exhibition to the influences of Japanese art on the master of color. Or how, breaking away from naturalism and impressionism, he incorporated this aesthetic into his treatment of space and movement.

Until October 6, 2024, at the Hôtel de Caumont in Aix-en-Provence, caumont-centreart.com

Planète(s) Decouflé. the most beautiful modern dance wardrobe

At the CNCS (National Center for Costume and Stage), an exhibition dedicated to Philippe Decoufflet offers the opportunity to immerse yourself in a universe between dance, cinema and live animation through around one hundred costumes. During the four decades of his work, the choreographer has always surrounded himself with body-enhancing artists. The designers of her dresses are called: Philippe Guillotel, Laurent Chalou, Jean Malo or Charlie Le Mindou. From the main lounge, visitors discover Shazam’s iconic bubble dress. The course explores different planets as many worlds: anatomical, micro/macro, kaleidoscopic, shadows. Philippe Decouffle’s video projections and drawings complete it. The last room is an apotheosis. featuring nearly thirty of the most iconic costumes from the Albertville Olympics. The designer’s mantra. “I don’t like to do anything artificial. I need beauty, I need to cry when I do something. I want to be moved and touch people.”

From May 25 to January 5, 2025, cncs.fr

Julien des Monstiers in Chambord

The national domain of Chambord is represented by Julien des Monstiers. More than thirty works are presented in the “Dedance Dehors” exhibition, some of which were prepared for the occasion. Julien des Monstiers was born in 1983 in Limoges, graduated Fine Arts in 2008 (workshop of Jean-Michel Alberola) is an artist whose approach to oil painting is innovative. It seems that his modern motifs come from the distant past. Animal hunting scenes, floral decorations, tapestries… resonate with the castle walls, a dialogue with the spirit of the place. The artist works with delay technique, back and forth approach. That said, he first draws his pictures on a plexiglass plate. With a first transfer (still with fresh oil paint) on glass paper, he then transfers the pattern with pressure to the canvas. The result: real or fantastic animals, an interweaving of abstract patterns, a hymn to color.

Inside outFrom May 26 to November 3, 2024, chambord.org

Marissa Mertz’s work as a project at LaM

The only woman in the Italian movement arte povera, Marisa Merz (1926-2019) developed an open body of work for more than five decades. In his studio, he transformed space and time into a large collage using everyday materials (aluminum, clay, copper, fabric). The LaM is dedicating a major exhibition to the artist, who was celebrated by the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2013 and whose last retrospective in France dates back thirty years. Titled “Listen to space”, the tour focuses on showcasing iconic works and new works.

Until 22 September 2024 at LaM in Villeneuve d’Ascq (North), musee-lam.fr

THE: The Big Book of Birds, by Audubon. The Bible

Birds of America Jean-Jacques Audubon is the book every ornithologist dreams of owning. Still! Since the Covid pandemic, we have all been budding ornithologists. We learned to listen to their songs, recognize their feathers, read an essay by Vincent Despres Live as a bird. So this book is not a niche book but a bible for all nature lovers. Accompanied by a portfolio of 5 reproductions of engravings, it includes the 435 magnificent plates that Audubon published between 1827 and 1838, featuring 1,605 life-size birds. A notice accompanies each plate with its own sly commentary. In publishing the limits of art.

The Big Book of BirdsJean-Jacques Audubon, by Roger Tory Peterson and Virginia Marie Peterson, 696p, 554 illustrations, Citadels and Mazenod Editions