The Palais de Tokyo has taken a crazy gamble . The goal of his new exhibition “ Exposé e s ” ? Making people with HIV visible and at the same time pointing out the ever-increasing presence of the virus … thanks to art. Sensitive souls refrain ! However, we cannot recommend this arty public health event highly enough , a must-visit.
A committed tour de force
A stone's throw from the magnificent view offered by the Trocadéro on the Eiffel Tower , the Palais de Tokyo returns this season with a shocking exhibition on HIV . The deadliest epidemic of the last century still kills several thousand people per year (650,000 in 2021 worldwide ). However, blinded by the progress of medicine , the younger generations are no longer aware of the danger that the virus still represents .
It is by drawing inspiration from the book What AIDS has done to me, Art and activism of the 20th century by Elisabeth Lebovici and by inviting recognized artists ( yann beauvais , Zoe Leonard , Henrik Olesen , etc.) and LGBT collectives ( Bastille , Bambanani Women's Group …) that the Palais de Tokyo has succeeded in this incredible feat: offering an exhibition of crazy sensitivity on a particularly thorny subject.
the therapeutic benefits of art
Moving beyond political activism , the exhibition primarily showcases the medicinal functions of art through the works of infected people and by exploring how queer artists look at the disease.
After passing by the installation of Lili Reynaud-Dewar , impossible to miss (we let you discover why!), we arrive in front of the work of the painter Pascal Lièvre . By leading a workshop in Cape Town with people exposed to the virus , the activist created sensitive and colorful paintings with them, accompanied by texts on their relationship to the disease.
The exhibition also offers numerous documentaries by artists with HIV (such as Donald Rodney in “ These song on Pain, Times and Light) or on the work of LGBT associations . The works of Michel Journiac ( including 150 poems put in blood , 1983), sensitive frames where poems are superimposed on a background of blood and gold, remain particularly striking: a sublime work to see absolutely.
Poetic, polysensory and committed, Exposé e s has something to move you, but the general message remains sensitive and grabs you from start to finish.
To soothe your emotions after the visit, take a detour to Miriam Cahn's pop and colorful exhibition, “ My serial life ”, without forgetting to take a sweet break at Bambini , the Italian cantina next to the museum to finish the day on a dolce vita note .
“Exhibited” at the Palais de Tokyo from February 17 to May 14. Open from 12pm to 10pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. €12 full price and €9 reduced price.
© Aurelien Mole
Also discover “En liberté”, the extraordinary exhibition of the Alaïa foundation and street art comes to Hôtel de ville
