This summer, Palais de Tokyo sees its exhibition spaces fundamentally transformed when it welcomes a major installation by Céleste Boursier-Mougenot (born 1961, lives in Sète).

This singular artist of the French scene represents at the same time France at the Venice biennale (9 May – 22 November 2015).

Acquaalta is the annual flood in the Venetian lagoon. In summer 2015, this same phenomenon takes over the spaces of Palais de Tokyo. Céleste Boursier-Mougenot creates a lakeside landscape which leads visitors into an experience, at once tactile, visual and auditory, which changes their perception of the space: “It is good to worry the visitor sometimes, to give him or herself a coded image. People love seeing themselves disappear.” (Céleste Boursier-Mougenot)
As they move across this flooded space, visitors enters a stream of images which set the scene for an imaginary journey, a voyage through their own psyche.

A publication edited by Palais de Tokyo goes with the exhibition.

Curator: Daria de Beauvais

Biography

Born in Nice in 1961, Céleste Bousier-Mougenot lives and works in Sète. Although his works have been exhibited for almost 20 years in contemporary art spaces in France and abroad, they have more in common with the work of a musician. From 1985 to 1994 he was the composer of author/director Pascal Rambert’s “Side One Posthume Théâtre” company before embarking on a quest to give his music independent status through installations.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot’s work has been exhibited on the international scene for a number of years. Indeed, he was the first French artist to win the International Studio Program (PS1) in New York in 1998-1999. Recent exhibitions include the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne in 2013, the Barbican Centre in London in 2010 and the Pinacothèque in Sao Paulo in 2009.

2015 is set to be an exceptional year for the artist: before his exhibition at Palais de Tokyo he represents France at the Contemporary Art Biennale in Venice (9 May – 22 November 2015) with an ambitious, hitherto unseen project rêvolutions, curated by Emma Lavigne, the Director of the Centre Pompidou-Metz who shortly presents a new version of one of his most well-known works, clinamen. He has also been invited to show another of his famous works, from here to hear, at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art in November.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot’s work can currently be found at the Paula Cooper gallery (New York), the Xippas gallery (Paris, Geneva, Montevideo, Athens) and Mario Mazzoli gallery in Berlin.

A monographic book published by Palais de Tokyo is accompanying this show.