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Words and works of art form the warp and weft of our most ethereal emotions. But all too often this weaving is thwarted by the excess of one or the other. Or even by the rather clumsy tendency of one to want to describe the other to exhaustion. From the Très riches heures du Duc de Berry to the Fleurs du Mal, the reign of literal illustration left little room for a more unbridled imagination.

It was not until the Surrealists that the weft and the warp suddenly began to form more complex patterns. From then on, the writer and the visual artist, whoever responded to the other’s proposal, strove to look beyond appearances to reveal, rather than describe, the other’s proposal. The text as a subtle enhancer of the work, and vice versa.

In the words to say it, we indulge in this mooring exercise. The choice of works of brut art and the texts that glisten in their wake thumb their nose at styles and eras to create unexpected affinities. The result is an exhibition that verifies Albert Camus’ assertion that writing is “the means of transmitting the soul of a work of art.”

For this first exhibition in the series the words to say it, we entrusted the curation to Laurianne Melierre, founder of PLUME, an agency for writing and editorial strategy led by journalists:

To remain pure, should an artwork be displayed without a text to accompany it? By creating a work, did the artist agree to have an unknown hand caption it? Could the act of describing ultimately just be a parasitic intrusion that would hinder the act of making art?

The words to say it #1 looks at this question from a fresh angle. Art brut artworks stand there, confident in themselves and their iconoclasm, ready to be viewed, almost alone. Yes, “almost”—for a remarkable collection of writings and textual experiences surrounds them.

Whether created specially for the exhibition or sourced from books and magazines, the overlap between the artworks and these eclectic texts—some of which written by visitors—generates something new. It is no longer a question of simply detailing the pieces but of echoing or confronting them, stirring doubts in us or piquing our curiosity, and even sometimes frustrating us. But never explaining or describing. This surprising dialogue creates a novel language and rouses unanticipated emotions. All that is left to do is to find the words to say it.

visit of the exhibition by the curator, to see the video: click here

The words to say it #1 - © christian berst — art brut
The words to say it #1 - © christian berst — art brut
The words to say it #1 - © christian berst — art brut
The words to say it #1 - © christian berst — art brut
The words to say it #1 - © christian berst — art brut
The words to say it #1 - © christian berst — art brut
Artworks
Please contact us to inquire about the available works.
untitled - © christian berst — art brut
Leopold Strobl untitled, 2018
3.54 x 3.15 in
Mary T. Smith untitled (Come To), 1985
23.62 x 23.62 in
le fétichiste (anonyme) untitled, 2001
3.94 x 5.91 in
Carlo Zinelli untitled, 1967
19.69 x 27.56 in
Franco Bellucci untitled, 2009
18.9 x 21.26 in
Artists
Franco Bellucci - © christian berst — art brut
Franco Bellucci
portrait of josé manuel egea - © christian berst — art brut
José Manuel Egea
le fétichiste (anonyme) - © christian berst — art brut
le fétichiste (anonyme)
kunizo matsumoto - © christian berst — art brut
Kunizo Matsumoto
Royal Robertson - © christian berst — art brut
Royal Robertson
mary t smith - © christian berst — art brut
Mary T. Smith
leopold strobl, gugging - © marco prenninger, christian berst — art brut
Leopold Strobl
Carlo Zinelli - © christian berst — art brut
Carlo Zinelli
Catalog
the words to say it #1 laurianne melierre
les mots pour le dire #1 laurianne melierre - © christian berst — art brut

catalog published for the exhibition
the words to say it #1
curator: laurianne melierre
from april 11th to may 11th, 2024
texts: christian berst & laurianne melierre

get the catalog: click here

Press review
Exposition « Les mots pour le dire » par Laurianne Melierre, Galerie Christian Berst
Soège Lecocq, GOODMOODS. June 6, 2024.
christian berst art brut unveils two new exhibitions
Photos : Michaël Huard, Saywho. April 16, 2024.
The words to say it #1
Agenda Paris Photo. April 16, 2024.
the words to say it #1 – leopold strobl at the christian berst gallery, paris
Galerie Gugging. April 16, 2024.
The words to say it #1

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