Corps et âmes: the hard-hitting exhibition at the Bourse de commerce
What if contemporary art revealed our relationship with the body better than any discourse? This is the challenge taken up – and largely met – by the “Corps et âmes” exhibition at the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection.
A visceral journey through the contemporary body
Inaugurated last March, the new season orchestrated by Emma Lavigne plunges us into a polyphonic meditation on the body, its fragility, its stories, its scars. The tour opens with a striking video byAna Mendieta, a silhouette erased in the damp earth, and closes with feverish dances by Cecilia Bengolea. In between: bodies mutilated, glorified, aged, loved, invisible… but always profoundly alive.
Powerful works, between memory and politics
The strength of the exhibition lies in its diversity. We pass from the clinical gaze of Kerry James Marshall – whose BlackOlympia disturbs as much as it fascinates – to the vibrant portraits of Zanele Muholi or Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, via the monumental installations of Georg Baselitz. These eight inverted canvases, an ode to the aging body, transform the space into a contemporary chapel.
Tragic current events also resonate, with poignant works by Mira Schor and Marlene Dumas, evoking war, mutilation and imposed silence. Skin-deep pieces that refuse aesthetic comfort.
An organic, rhythmic scenography at the Bourse de Commerce
The spatial setting adds to the impact. Films, sculptures, photos and paintings follow one another like choreographed movements.Ali Cherri ‘s showcases interact withArthur Jafa‘s projections, while Deana Lawson ‘s photos amplify the voice of a black body too long marginalized. The notion of dance permeates the entire exhibition.
📍Bourse de commerce – Pinault Collection, until August 25, 2025
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