L’argent

… Adel Abdessemed, Fikret Atay, Fabio Balducci & Sophie Calle, Iain Baxter, Philippe Cazal, Claude Closky, Moyra Davey, Wim Delvoye, Tracey Emin, Et n’est-ce *&/et, Malachi Farrell, Hans-Peter Feldmann, Sylvie Fleury, Claire Fontaine, Michel François, Gloria Friedmann, General Idea, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, David Hammons, Thomas Hirschhorn, IFP, Michel Journiac, Edward Kienholz & Nancy Reddin, Ben Kinmont, Olga Kisseleva, Arnaud Labelle-Rojoux, Suzanne Lafont, Matthieu Laurette, Bertrand Lavier, Louise Lawler, Zoe Leonard, Les ready-made appartiennent à tout le monde ®, Gilles Mahé, Kris Martin, Cildo Meireles, Annette Messager, Antoni Muntadas, Marylène Negro, Cady Noland, Orlan, Gabriel Orozco, Ouest-Lumière, Cesare Pietroiusti & Paul

Griffith,, Josephine Pryde, Claude Rutault, Seth Siegelaub, Santiago Sierra, Société Réaliste, Reena Spaulings, Ernest T, Taroop & Glabel, the Centre of Attention, Joana Vasconcelos, Dana Wyse et la Biennale de Paris…

 

In an era dominated – in art, as elsewhere – by the omnipresent issue of profitability, this exhibition offers a partial survey of artistic approaches challenging the social role of money, from the early 20th century up until the present. This has been a great chance to bring together works by Manet, Yves Klein, Andy Warhol, Ernest T., Claire Fontaine, Société Réaliste and others.

 

In the context of a rampant capitalism for which the power of the market is all, art is no longer just a sound investment or an aesthetic refuge. Now thoroughly – and symptomatically – integrated into the capitalist system, it can provide a better, faster return on investment than some top shares.

In such a setting it is logical to give a hearing to artists, individually or in groups, whose work falls within the shadow of stock-market fluctuations.

The exhibition “Money” comprises three complementary sections. It begins with a wall of photocopies of works of art addressing the money issue. In turn the public can take possession of the reproductions and touch works of art that very few institutions can afford to borrow.

The exhibition then lingers over the period 1970–80, during which artists decided to infiltrate the institutional network and denounce the underhanded transactions that had become an everyday feature of the scene.

In a third and final part, Le Plateau is given over to site-specific works focusing right now, in 2008, on the unique, universal touchstone that is money.

 

Curators: Caroline Bourgeois, Le Plateau and Elisabeth Lebovici, art historian

 

Slide Show