Do you know Mike Kelley? Little known in France, Mike Kelley was a visual artist who emerged from the West American punk scene. Found dead in his Los Angeles home in 2012 at the age of 57, he left behind an unclassifiable body of work, much appreciated by lovers ofcontemporary art, blending underground and popular culture.
Mike Kelley 's colorful, pop-like, yet disconcerting, style is characterized by his ability to create complex universes that call into question our culture. His work, both singular and subversive, left its mark on conceptual art from the 1980s to the 2000s. Through drawing, video, sculpture, photography, painting and writing, Mike Kelley was known for tackling social and individual themes such as childhood, education, sexuality and memory. An artist who was honored at the Centre Pompidou in 2013.
10 years later, another Parisian cultural venue is offering a retrospective devoted to this great American artist. This autumn and winter, the Bourse de Commerce unveils the " Ghost and Spirit " exhibition. Running from October 13, 2023 to February 19, 2024, this retrospective takes a fresh look at the artist's major oeuvre. Visitors can admire some of Mike Kelley's most important works, some of which belong to the Pinault Collection.
One of the highlights is undoubtedly"Kandor", the mythical city where Superman comes from on the planet Krypton. Drawing on the twenty or so instances in which the famous city is depicted in the comics, Mike Kelley created a number of works, including an incredible ensemble of 21 colored resin cities and their glass bells. This impressive work, begun in 1999, is on show exclusively in the rotunda of the Bourse de Commerce, under a dome in which videos are also projected onto the walls.
The continuation of this major retrospective devoted to Mike Kelley, the first since his death in 2012, takes place on the second floor of the Paris museum. This is where many other works await us, revealing the impressive career of this provocative and unabashed artist; a complete artist who has never ceased to evolve over the years, dealing with multiple themes such as religion, family, sexual identity, animality...
The first room, Monkey Island , features Mike Kelley 's early performance-based works. Here, he develops the idea of underground geometry to the point of absurdity.
The Poltergeist " is another room in which the American artist is passionate about exploring the occult and the formless. We discover him in a video dating from 1983, dressed as the " Banana Man ". Sculptures and various works and archives linked to his early performances are also on display in this room.
We then enter the " Half a man " room. This is a group of works by Mike Kelley produced in the late 80s and mid-90s, exploring questions of gender within the family context. The artist uses second-hand stuffed animals, sometimes staged with sound recordings. Usually comforting, many of these cuddly toys display a distressing side.
In " Memory Ware ", Mike Kelley attempts to recall all the places where he was educated and studied. In the center of the room is the large-scale installation " Double Contour with side Bars " (2000), created from studio scraps.
Finally, in the last room of this retrospective devoted to Mike Kelley, " Day is Done ", the Bourse de Commerce showcases the sound and visual installations created by the artist, halfway between musical comedy and total work of art.
Alongside this major retrospective devoted to Mike Kelley, the Bourse de Commerce is also exhibiting the work of three other artists, from different generations, but who also draw on counter-cultures: Lee Lozano (1930-1999), Mira Schor (b. 1950) and Ser Serpas (b. 1995).
Dates and Opening Time
Starts October 13th, 2023
Location
Paris Stock Exchange
2 rue de Viarmes
75001 Paris 1
Official website
www.pinaultcollection.com
