WHAT: "Histoires de Voir: Show and Tell"
WHEN: Through October 21, Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-6pm.
WHERE: Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art, 261 Boulevard Raspail, Paris.
WHY THIS SHOW MATTERS: This is an exceptional exhibition of international outsider and popular art, and while it includes some familiar names, such as Takeshi Kitano, it's especially interesting because it features artists of whom most of us haven't heard. From Brazil to India to Congo, many of the artists live in isolated regions and have worked under difficult economic conditions. Visually the show is a knock-out, and it also sheds light on the societies where the art is produced.
"You can't understand these artworks without understanding the stories of the artists who are behind these works," curator Leane Sacramone told ARTINFO France. "Some are fighting for the survival of an endangered culture, or are struggling to make ends meet. There are also art forms that have emerged where you wouldn't expect them." Among the better-known names, Senegalese artist Mamadou Cissé's contemporary cityscape paintings stand out. Many of the artists are self-taught, such as Haitian Jean-Baptiste Jean Joseph, whose embroidered flags are magnificent. It is easy to spend a good couple hours exploring this show, and it's worth taking the time to see the selection of films on the lower level. Several films by or about the artists are shown, including a fine piece by the young Brazil-based filmmaker Ariel Kuaray Poty Ortega about the exile of the Guarani Indians and their struggle to return to their native lands.
A common theme is the artists' connection to nature as a spiritual and magical force. This was made even more apparent during the opening event, "Nights of Uncertainty," when the theme of forest spirits was explored with songs and dances choreographed by the Kaxinawá shaman Ibã, from the western Brazilian Amazon. Perhaps the only off-key note in this show is the inclusion of a few artworks that are crafts designed for tourists. However, these items serve as a reminder that this kind of market can help cultures and artists to survive.
To see images from the exhibition, click the slide show.
This story also appears on ARTINFO France.