François Curlet is a French artist who spends his time living in Paris and Brussels. These city experiences shape his vision and his art, as he creates pieces that confront society’s modern clichés. He is an expert at repurposing objects and mediums that already exist. He transforms these objects into something completely different than what they were in order to highlight, in a poetic way, their roles in our lives.
From February 27 until May 20, 2013, the Palais de Tokyo will reveal an exhibition of François Curlet on its first level, in the Galerie Wilson. The exhibition is entitled “Fugu,” and it shows how advertisements and other everyday items can become truly interesting from an artistic point of view.
The title “Fugu” was taken from the Japanese fish of the same name. Although the Fugu fish is regarded as a highly prized delicacy in Japan, it can also turn into a fatal poison if it is consumed in the wrong way. This, of course, is a metaphor for the daily influences that invade our lives — a theme that is found throughout Curlet’s “Fugu” exhibition. The works themselves oscillate between whimsical and unsettling, capturing the spectator in a unique experience.
The exhibition features works created between 1985 and 2012. It was during this period that Curlet played with the concepts of materialism in the world. One of his most striking techniques is to relate contemporary occurrences to well-known allegories. This is done in order to incite the spectator to think critically about what is being displayed. Guests staying at the Hôtel Louvre Marsollier will have the opportunity to visit this offbeat exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo during their stay in Paris.
