Anthologie de l'humou noir. In his presentation, the French artist retraces African influences on the European avant-garde while also linking it to modern French art and literature. With a coffin model manufactured in Ghana, he responds to a custom which has recently taken hold in that West African country whereby figurally designed coffins serve as a form of commemoration of the deceased. The title derives from Andre' Breton's Surrealist work 'Anthologie de l'humour noir' of 1940.
The French artist Saâdane Afif (b. 1970) – recipient of the acclaimed Marcel Duchamp Prize in 2009 – is coming to the MMK Zollamt to stage the first solo exhibition of his works ever to take place in a German museum. The exhibition title was derived from André Breton's Surrealist work Anthologie de l'humour noir of 1940.
In his presentation, Afif will retrace African influences on the European avant-garde while also linking it to modern French art and literature. With a coffin model manufactured in Ghana, he will moreover respond to a custom which has recently taken hold in that West African country whereby figurally designed coffins serve as a form of commemoration of the deceased. By virtue of its shape, the coffin entitled L'Humour Noir at the centre of the MMK Zollamt show will make reference to the Centre Pompidou.
In keeping with his usual approach, Saâdane Afif has called upon well-known protagonists of the art world to write texts about the coffin, taking his own thoughts about it as their point of departure. The texts will be part of the exhibition and form the contextual key to understanding the work.
Visitors to the opening will have the opportunity to experience this context in a performance carried out on that occasion.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalogue.
The exhibition is being realized with support from:
Jürgen Ponto-Stiftung zur Förderung junger Künstler
Institut français
FAZIT Stiftung
Image: Anthologie de l'humour noir, Centre Pompidou 2010 © G. Meguerditchian, courtesy Galerie Michel Rein, Paris
Press contact:
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Daniela Denninger daniela.denninger@stadt-frankfurt.de
Julia Haecker julia.haecker@stadt-frankfurt.de
Phone +49 69 21235844
Fax +49 69 21237882
Opening: 17 February, 7 pm, with performance
MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst
Domstraße 10 - 60311 Frankfurt am Main
Opening hours:
Tue - Sun 10 am - 6 pm
Wed 10 am - 8 pm
Admission:
concessions 10/5 €*
Schoool classes 3 € per persons
Admission is free for children aged 6