Valérie John at the Palais de Tokyo — Indigo, memory and textiles between Martinique and Senegal

At the Palais de Tokyo, the exhibition I telman nwè ki i blé by Valérie John probes the subtle shades of indigo, from October 21, 2026, to February 14, 2027. Papers, fabrics and installations weave stories of memory and identity between Martinique and Senegal, and invite you to let a single detail lead the way.

The exhibition’s journey at the Palais de Tokyo traces its origins back to the 1990s, the period of its return to Martinique. Valérie John sets up her studio there and continues a pursuit of research she had been developing between France and West Africa. The pagne, textile techniques, and the uses of materials nourish this work, where personal history intersects with the history of the places.

In the Grande Verrière, the works fill the walls, cover the floor, and hover in the suspended space. Papers, textiles, garments, objects, and books reveal the different facets of her practice. The palette ranges from deep blues to near-black tones, with echoes of water, mourning, and memories tied to the crossings of the Atlantic.

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Craftsmanship matters as much as color. Trained, notably in indigo dyeing in Senegal, where she spends part of her time, Valérie John reuses documents and materials, reassembling and layering them. The layers keep traces, like a page on which several stories have been written in succession. The exhibition, conceived by Amandine Nana with Candice Ratsimba, offers a concrete look at this approach to transforming collected elements.

In front of these surfaces, you can begin by tracing a shade, a crease, or a fragment of paper. Rather than trying to decipher everything, letting a single detail seize your attention already provides an entry point into the work.

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