Residency Meudon (FR) summer 2025 - 3
musea
One of the things I really wanted to do during my residency was visiting musea. It nourishes my own phantasy, it brings knowledge and sometimes recognition of something I try to communicate in an abstract way through sound/music. There is an almost endless amount of musea in Paris. Hereby five pictures of five exhibitions I saw. I like to go to smaller musea or smaller exhibitions. In this way I can really focus and ‘digest’ it. When it comes to food, an exquisite bonbon is best savored on its own — without immediately chasing it with taco chips and beer, for example. ;)
Grand Palais - exhibition: Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, Pontus Hulten
In the picture a drawing by Niki de Saint Phalle is seen. We artists need people or institutions who support us, help to bring our work to audiences. This is a letter to Pontus Hulten where Niki de Saint Phalle speaks about a new work. There were more of these in the exhibition by both artists, always with some introducing text “how are you” and or some details about trivialities and than the question about an exhibition or a new work in progress. But these ones are very beautiful in comparison what is usually now an email..
The Swedish Pontus Hulten was a good friend of de Saint Phalle and Tinguely and he was founding director of many important contemporary art museums.
Institut du monde Arabe - Treasures saved from Gaza - 5000 years of history
With intense sadness and a feeling of despair I follow what is happening in Gaza. A repetition from what happened to other people, populations before. Why can’t we just life next to each other - this is what all ‘normal’ people want - ,I think. This small exhibition showed in short a history of 5000 years.
In the picture a part of a Byzantine mosaic, which comes from Jabaliya (north part of Gaza). In the next room there were pictures of the Great Omari Mosque in Gaza city. It was first build in the 11th century. The British claimed that there were Ottoman munitions stored in the mosque and bombed it in 1917. Than there were pictures of the current situation. Everything from exhibition was planned to go back to Gaza, but will be preserved in a safe place until the situation is so that it can be brought back without the fear of immediate destruction.
Musée Histoire de Paris Carnavalet - Le Paris d’Agnès Varda, de-ci de-là
Filmmaker, photographer, oberservateur Agnès Varda lived from 1951 until her passing away at 90 years in 2019 in the same place in the 14th arrondisement in Paris. In the exhibition there are pictures of her observations in Paris, some short films which have a lot of humor. She watches carefully and with love. I made a picture of a notebook where she was playing around with words.
Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme - Paula Padani. La danse migrante : Hambourg, Tel-Aviv, Paris
I had never heard of this dancer, born Patzanowski with Polish-Jewish parents and orphan from the age of 12, who had a bit of a nomadic life due to the circumstances (1913-2001). Her daughter Gabriela Gottlieb shared the documentation of the life of her mother for this exhibition. Padani was an influential choreographer, performer, and teacher who explored Jewish themes in her work as she danced throughout Israel, the United States, and Europe. As a child, Padani studied at Mary Wigman’s school of modern dance in Germany. In 1936 Padani illegally immigrated to Palestine. She began creating choreography in Tel-Aviv inspired by the landscape and biblical themes. In 1950 Padani moved to Paris and gave numerous recitals, scoring a brilliant success. Padani was sent by the Joint Distribution Committee to tour some sixty refugee camps in the American-occupied zone in Germany. She became known for her signature solo, Horah. Padani taught with passion in her later life, remaining true to techniques of improvisation.
Musée Maillol - Robert Doisneau, instants donnés
A nice mix of photos from - like Varda - observations in Paris, pictures of fellow artists, his time working for Renault (1934-1939) and more. I made a picture of two photos of a series where people watch a painting of Maillol ;) One statement Doisneau made in an interview (video in the exhibition): his core values are curiosity, disobedience, amazement. Everything but indifference.
Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris - Gabriele Münter
Münter was born in Berlin to upper-middle-class Protestant parents. Despite being raised in a family and country that discouraged women from a career in the arts, Münter eventually attended Munich’s progressive new Phalanx School, where she studied sculpture and woodcut techniques. She was one of the founding members of the important expressionist group Der Blaue Reiter. In the exhibition where many paintings on cardbord like the one I made a picture of. It gives a very different atmosphere than paintings on canvas. The blue of this apron was very intense and impressive, one must see that ‘live’.. Münter was during 10 years a couple with Kandinsky. When she was 80, she donated 1000 of her works to the Munich Municipal Museum.
I will be until the end of August in/near Meudon.
After that: https://fieschouten.nl/agenda/