It All Comes Back to the ‘Body’ in Bourse de Commerce’s Latest Show

Throughout history, the human body has been a significant wellspring of artistic inspiration. Initially employed to delve into themes like sanctity, attractiveness, and moral values, the 20th century witnessed a transformation in the examination of physical form, transitioning toward discussions on identity and presentation to create a vocabulary for our diverse movements across the globe.

At Paris’ Bourse de Commerce, an intriguing display called Body and Soul delves into how today’s artists portray the interlinking of body and spirit in their work. Gathering approximately 100 pieces from the Pinault Collection, this exhibition emphasizes physical representations spanning painting, sculpture, photography, video, and drawing. Notable artists such as Arthur Jafa, Duane Hanson, Ana Mendieta, David Hammons, Kara Walker, Wolfgang Tillmans, Kerry James Marshall, Sherrie Levine, and many others are showcased in this event.

The focus of this presentation lies on three films by Jafa, which are making their premiere in Paris. In the round architecture designed by Tadao Ando, the film “Love is the Message, the Message is Death” (2016), one of Jafa’s well-known works, turns the space into an “echo chamber” for significant figures and events from Black American history. This piece includes notable individuals such as Martin Luther King Jr., Jimi Hendrix, Angela Davis, Malcolm X, Miles Davis, Barack Obama, and Beyoncé. The film interweaves fame and obscurity to emphasize the body’s physicality as a medium for dance, conflict, and work.

Curator Emma Lavigne explained that art taps into the power and essence of our thoughts and personal experiences to provide a socially aware, compassionate encounter with otherness. Shapes transform, either reverting to representational forms or breaking free from them, enabling the spirit and awareness within to emerge. It’s no longer about just depicting physical bodies; rather, it’s about capturing the energies that course through them, uncovering hidden truths, revealing the unseen, and illuminating the unknown.

Corps et âmes is now on view in Paris through August 25, 2025.

Bourse de Commerce
2 Rue de Viarmes,
75001 Paris, France

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2025-03-06 22:56