As a complement to the exhibition Louise Bourgeois. Unconscious memories, to be held at the Galleria Borghese, Villa Medici presents two works by Louise Bourgeois: the installation No Exit and the tapestry Sainte Sébastienne in the Salon de lecture, exceptionally open to the public.
Louise Bourgeois (1911, Paris–2010, New York), a major figure in twentieth-century art who eludes all artistic classification, influenced many artists with a body of work pervaded by the themes of memory, childhood, and metamorphosis. From June 21 to September 15, the Galleria Borghese in Rome is devoting an exhibition to her, entitled Louise Bourgeois. Unconscious memories, which is being extended to Villa Medici with the installation, until September 5, of the large-scale piece No Exit, specially presented for the occasion in the historic rooms.
No Exit evokes the childhood home in which Louise Bourgeois used to take refuge under the stairs to spy on her father. The staircase imagined by the artist leads nowhere; it loses its functional aspect and acquires an almost spiritual dimension that prompts reflection and introspection. Two wooden spheres are placed on either side of the steps, suggesting a phallic form, while two rubber hearts hidden beneath the staircase invoke the place of love in human relationships.
The installation No Exit (1989) resonates with another work by the French-American artist on show in the historic rooms of Villa Medici, inhabited by reflections on the body and memory: the tapestry Sainte Sébastienne (1997), belonging to the Mobilier National collections and on loan to Villa Medici since 2022. This tapestry, woven by the Gobelins Manufactory, is based on an intaglio print made by Louise Bourgeois in 1992. It depicts a female version of the martyr Saint Sebastian, represented with great economy of means: a body with generous curves is riddled with black arrows from all sides. Bourgeois hijacks the traditional iconography of the Christian martyr to evoke her personal sufferings. "Sainte Sébastienne is a self-portrait," she declared.
The two works by Louise Bourgeois are presented in the Salon de lecture. This salon, refurbished in 2022 by Kim Jones and Silvia Venturini Fendi, will be exceptionally accessible to the public for the occasion.... read the rest of the article»
On the exhibition Louise Bourgeois. Unconscious memories at the Galleria Borghese:
The exhibition, organized by the Galleria Borghese in collaboration with The Easton Foundation, is the artist's first retrospective in Rome. Curated by Cloé Perrone, Geraldine Leardi, and Philip Larratt-Smith, it presents some twenty works and invites visitors to explore Louise Bourgeois's major contribution to twentieth-century sculpture, in conjunction with the historical collections and architectural heritage of the Galleria Borghese.
The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue and a guide published by Marsilio Arte.
Curators: Cloé Perrone, Geraldine Leardi, and Philip Larratt-Smith.
Exhibition held in collaboration with The Easton Foundation.
Exhibition Louise Bourgeois. Unconscious memories at the Galleria Borghese: June 21 - September 15, 2024
No Exit and Sainte Sébastienne at Villa Medici: June 21 to September 5, 2024
Around the exhibition at Villa Medici
On July 4, as part of the Esistere come Donna program of encounters accompanying the exhibition Louise Bourgeois. Unconscious memories, Villa Medici will welcome artist and friend of Louise Bourgeois Mâkhi Xenakis and author Laura Accerboni for a free conference entitled Tenendo per mano l'ombra. Philosophy and poetry, around the exhibition Louise Bourgeois. Unconscious memories.
Title: Villa Medici presents two works by Louise Bourgeois
Opening: June 21, 2024
Ending: September 15, 2024
Organization: Accademia di Francia a Roma - Villa Medici
Place: Roma, Accademia di Francia a Roma - Villa Medici
Address: Viale della Trinità dei Monti, 1 - 00187 Roma
Practical information of the French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici
Open Monday to Sunday, closed Tuesdays
10 am - 6.30 pm
Exhibition tickets: €10 full price, €8 reduced price
Free admission for journalists on presentation of a valid press card.
More info on this website: https://www.villamedici.it/
Facebook: VillaMedici.VillaMedicis
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