As an extension of the Kehinde Wiley exhibition, organized at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini during the 59th Venice Biennale, the Musée d’Orsay presents until January 8, 2023, within its huge nave, three monumental works by the artist: a painting entitled “Woman Bitten By A Serpent (Mamadou Gueye)” and two recently made sculptures “An Archeology of Silence” and “The Young Tarantine (Mamadou Gueye)”.
What place for the black man and woman in the history of art? If we refer to classical painting, it is reduced to the bare minimum, apart from slaves and servants.
For nearly 20 years, Kehinde Wiley has been filling the gaps and glorifying black bodies through realistic painting and sculpture, giving them the monumental luster that has hitherto been largely denied them. Drawing inspiration from classic works, but also from the personal stories of anonymous people, the African-American artist is one of the stars of the 59th Venice Biennale which continues until November 27, 2022.
Kehinde Wiley is now stopping off in Paris, at the Musée d’Orsay, which is exhibiting three of his works until January 8. 2023.
Rebroadcast of the program of Thursday, October 20