“But what is this weird visitor doing behind me, his head against the wall? We were warned, but the illusion is so perfect that we found ourselves asking this rather silly question… Since this Friday and until September, around thirty sculptures larger than life have been installed in the patio of the Musée d’Arts de Nantes, for the exhibition Hypersensitive, a look at hyperrealistic sculpture. And that’s downright disturbing.
“The exhibition aims to explore the deeply human and sensitive character of hyperrealism by making us encounter the bodies of men and women, in whole or in fragments, indicates to 20 minutes Katell Jaffrès, the scientific curator. Here, the human figure and its complexity are at the heart of the approach of the artists who will be interested in the body of course, but also in individuality, the spirit, appearance, social status, or intimacy. . »
“These artists will look for us in an area where we no longer go”
Thanks to the techniques of casting, bronze or silicone work, hyperrealism, which could create controversy, flourished at the same time as pop art, to disappear in the 1980s. But the 21st century seems to sound like its comeback, with a recent traveling exhibit (which wrapped up last month at Maillol museum in Paris) bringing hyperrealism out of the shadows. A coincidence, according to the director of the art museum, but not so surprising. “France had until now shown very little interest in this movement, perhaps because it was too far from the traditional conception of beauty. But today, with the mobile phone, confinement, there is no country more mysterious than the body of the other, which has become something very abstract, believes Sophie Lévy, the director. These artists will look for us in an area where we no longer go, like a universal impulse. »
Why does this cheerleader look so melancholy? What is the story of this woman, whose gaze does not really inspire us with confidence? And these hands, to whom do they belong? The questions jostle in the heads as the visit progresses. This figurative art, born in the 1960s in the United States, effectively places the visitor in a bizarre position. Accustomed to taking a look at things, he finds himself observed this time, as if in front of a mirror.
Between identification, rejection, surprise or discomfort
And even if we know that “it’s for real”, it’s impossible not to feel anything during the stroll, as in front of these two newborns, naked and vulnerable, whose folds of skin and small veins make them become almost real. “These works offer us a unique encounter, analyzes Katell Jaffrès. Beyond the technical prowess, they will mobilize our emotions, like fascinate us. Faced with these people, who sometimes only lack breathing, there can be a whole range of reactions, such as identification, rejection, surprise, discomfort, etc. They send us back to our own feelings. »
We then pause in front of this strange person sitting behind her stand of old books, whom we would surely not have noticed if we had crossed her in real life, in the street or in a market. “Some artists like the American Duane Hanson have done real critical and social work, says Katell Jaffrès. This sculpture representing a person seated and alone explores the individualistic side of American society, with people we rarely looked at. Here, the artist turns these people, depicted in their ordinary lives, into works of art. »
From April 7 to September 3, 2023 in Nantes. Price: 9 euros (reduced: 4 euros)