CLAIRE FONTAINE – REPRODUCTIONS
2024-04-08Reproductions is an investigation around the subterraneous ways in which feminism crosses the most important currents of creative thinking of our time. Comprising of new and already existing works by Claire Fontaine, this exhibition creates a tension and a dialogue between the clear line of influence of Marcel Duchamp within the work of Claire Fontaine and her specific use of quotation, appropriation and hijacking. The word ‘reproductions’ evokes at the same time realistic representations in art, copies of existing artworks, the perpetuation of the same thing and the act of giving life to another being. Playing on this polysemy Claire Fontaine created two new neon works: Power (2024) where the word ‘soft’ before ‘power’ has been barred. ‘Soft power’ described by Wikipedia as ‘the ability to co-opt rather than coerce (in contrast with hard power)’ recalls the cultural strategies used by both United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War in their foreign politics through tokenism, while adopting strong internal repression of dissidence. Cancel (2024) polemically refers to cancel culture and its dangers of historical revisionism caused by the systematic exclusion and erasure of the culprits of political incorrectness.
Opposite – CONSENT (Green), 2020
Exhibition runs through to June 1st, 2024
Mennour
47, rue Saint-André des arts
75006 Paris
France