Musicology

Exhibition at Galerie Georges-Philippe & Nathalie Vallois from 17.01 to 01.03.2025
Curated by Marianne Le Métayer

Galerie GP & N Vallois exhibits music, featuring: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Julien Berthier, Blutch, Alain Bublex, Robert Cottingham, Gilles Elie, Douglas Gordon, Charles Hascoët, Gregor Hildebrandt, Jim Jarmusch, Mike Kelley, Martin Kersels, Elodie Lesourd, Christian Marclay, Jeff mills, Duke Riley, Erin M Riley, Pierre Seinturier, Reeve Schumacher, Tomi Ungerer, Jacques Villeglé, Julia Wachtel, Winshluss. Filled with multiple references, this exhibition speaks to all generations, from Elvis Presley to DJ Mehdi. It’s a real corpus that attests to the porosity of the arts and their ability to influence all milieus. Music, as observed here by visual artists, is expressed as much through the titles of the works as through the use of objects that trace the technologies that have staked it (CDs, vinyls, cassette tapes, etc.).

Musicology is about exhibiting music through a historical and aesthetic approach. Martin Kersels dissects an amp mixed with furniture, which he calls Orpheus in reference to the mythological poet and musician’s lyre. By combining these two eras in one work, he reminds us of the antiquity of this art form, a language that has united peoples since the dawn of mankind, and which does not require science to understand and appreciate. Others hijack it, using the codes of Pop Art: the face of Elvis Presley in a burlesque collage¹ or James Brown against a hurricane background², creating an ambiguity which criticizes or approves of this popular culture; what’s certain is that these icons will remain timeless, in tune with the scope of music by and large. And then there are those who draw inspiration from it to create their own works or to portray artists. Like an orchestra in unison, this exhibition is a musical compendium that can be visited at Galerie GP & N Vallois, 33 & 36 rue de Seine.

Hugo Poulaillon

¹ Untitled, Tomi Ungerer, 2008
² James Brown Hurricane, Jeff Mills, 2013