In 2007, Cy Twombly presented the sublime exhibition specially for Avignon. Entitled “Blooming”, it featured a cycle of huge paintings on the theme of peonies and their typically Japanese poetry.
The artist easger to renew the experience, and generously offered to be guest artist at the Collection Lambert, as both photographer and exhibition curator. This is the first time Twombly has offered this fascinating, richly informative experience; the choices he has made provide opportunities for a new reading of his incredibly abundant body of work.
For the show at the Chapelle du Méjan in Arles, two major artists have been chosen: Douglas Gordon and Miquel Barceló. Douglas Gordon has been honoured in Don Delillo’s book Point Omega (Scribner/Actes Sud) based on Gordon’s hypnotic video installation 24 Hour Psycho in which the artist stretches the film to last an entire day. This installation will be accompanied by photographs of burnt stars, "Self-Portrait as You + Me", 2008.
Working blind (i.e. without seeing the final result), virtuoso alchemist Barceló paints portraits on black linen cloth that chemically react with the bleach, leaving the faces to appear as if they have been burnt in some strange developing bath: Mondiano, Deneuve, Podalydès, and close friends.
