Soyons ridicules ! / Irmã Feia
- 2024, Galeria Irmã Feia, Cacilhas, Portugal
- Around 100 of paintings Hahatsoff Serie, Cabbage, Olive's aluminium bucket filled with soil
- Variable dimensions
SOYONS RIDICULES !
"To feel legitimate, the artist must be validated. Okay! But by whom? That is the whole question. By which society, by which club, by which institution, by which court and composed of which judges?"
– Robert Filliou, The Gallery in a Hat, 1962
In Soyons Ridicule! Julien Fargetton invites us into a performative exhibition that unfolds in two acts—on the opening day and the closing day. These moments, though separated in time, form a single fractured performance, blurring the lines between audience and artwork. The invitation to the viewer is simple: by coming to the exhibition, you become the exhibition. This playful overlap between presence and participation questions traditional modes of art-making, emphasizing the immaterial aspects of art and rejecting the formalities typically associated with exhibitions.
Julien’s work humorously engages with the conventions of the art world. His act of painting over exhibition texts of renowned galleries in London and Berlin, becomes a cheeky form of intervention. It’s a mischievous way to exist within the world of art, tagging it both literally and figuratively, like a graffiti artist in the shadows of the city.
At its core, Soyons Ridicule! offers more than just relational experiences. A pivotal object anchors the exhibition, influencing both the space and how we navigate it. Fargetton skilfully blends a philosophically charged concept—"all in all is all we are"—with a light hearted, humorous delivery. The exhibition reminds us that showing up, whether invited or uninvited, is sometimes as significant as knowing why we are there.
Tiago Duarte, Cacilhas, November 2024
