Dear Shaded Viewers,
Thaddaeus Ropac's latest venture brings us to Pantin on the outskirts of Paris, and it is well worth the journey. The gallery space is vast and split over different buildings. From the outside buildings look like stables or warehouses, which is particularly fitting for the inaugral exhibitions.
The main gallery space currently houses new work from German artist Anselm Kiefer. The exhibition is named Die Ungeborenen [The Unborn] and features colossal oil paintings and equally giant installations.
In this piece, white branches and tiny dolls clothes are juxtaposed with black and white photography.
Giant sunflowers are dried and painted in many of the installations. Handwritten text is also a prominent feature throughout, unfortunately I couldn't understand the German and it was lost on me.
Detail from one of the paintings.
My favourite piece from the exhibition, an overwhelming installation with unfurling rolls of images.
One of the more disturbing pieces, objects resembling human foetuses are floating in glass cases surrounded by rocks.
Across the courtyard is a smaller exhibition space, this one devoted to the work of Joseph Beuys. A film of the artists 1969 performance Titus Andronicus/Iphigenie is projected onto a wall next to the original symbols that were used in the piece. However it was the stark white horse in the gallery that quite literally, brought the work back to life.
Kopf (1961-76)
Felt work, one of Beuys' trademarks.
Alongside sculptural work, video projection, of course, the live horse; some of Beuy's notebook pages are displayed. Rough pencil drawings and notes documening the artist's thought process.
Galerie owner Thaddaeus Ropac.
Lou Doillon performed a beautiful, atmospheric concert for guests to enjoy. With Kiefer's sunflowers in the background and an eerie smoke about the place, it truly was magical.
Abby Double DJing after Lou Doillon's performance.
Later,
Aisling
