For its next exhibition, the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain has opted for something spectacular. The institution in the 14th arrondissement invites Australian sculptor Ron Mueck to unveil a collection of never-before-seen works in France, as well as iconic pieces from his career, from June 8th to November 5th, 2023.
There is a historical connection between Ron Mueck and the Fondation Cartier. This is not the first time the Fondation Cartier has brought Ron Mueck within its walls. In 2005, they introduced the artist to the French public before inviting him back in 2013. With this third exhibition, the institution continues its long-standing dialogue with the sculptor.
Born in 1958 in Melbourne and based in the United Kingdom since 1986, Ron Mueck creates works of surprising dimensions, imbued with an unsettling realism. [Image description: A photograph of Ron Mueck's artwork, featuring a close-up of a figurine]strange. In just over 25 years, he has created a corpus of 48 works, with the latest ones completed in the spring of 2023 for the opening of the exhibition.
A strange and unsettling universe
In this new exhibition, we discover, among other things, Mass, the largest installation ever created by the artist, presented for the very first time outside of Australia. Composed of one hundred gigantic human skulls, it offers a fascinating physical and psychological experience that will lead you to contemplate the fundamental notions of human existence. If the artist has chosen to represent human skulls, it's because "they repulse as much as they intrigue. They are impossible to ignore, unconsciously capturing our attention." A unique sculpture, sp+Specially created for the occasion and representing a group of menacing dogs, will also be presented at the Fondation Cartier.
Finally, Ron Mueck returns to the early days of his career with three iconic works from the 2000s: Baby (2000), a tiny sculpture of a newborn boy, Man in a boat (2002), representing a man whose arms hide his nudity, sitting at the bow of a longboat, and finally A Girl (2006), a gigantic newborn still marked by the experience of childbirth, who takes her first gaze upon the world.
© Michel Slomka
In short, an unprecedented cultural event that showcases the recent evolution of the artist's practice, and also allows us to discover the strange and surprising universe of Ron Mueck through works as rare as they are anticipated.
Ron Mueck
Fondation Cartier for contemporary art
261, boulevard Raspail – 14th arrondissement
From June 8th to November 5th, 2023
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