A Sense of Bliss

"A Sense of Bliss"

from Saturday, June 10, 2023 to Monday, July 31, 2023

Galerie XII Paris

Galerie XII Paris is pleased to introduce "A Sense of Bliss", the new exhibition of the duo of artists Clark and Pougnaud, to July 29, 2023. Some works from their iconic series are be exhibited alongside new pieces from the series "Fetish" (2021) and "A Poils" (2023).

Since the 1990s, Clark and Pougnaud have formed a well-established duo. Revealed by their project «Hommage à Hopper» which won them the HSBC prize and the Archimboldo prize, the artists merge their two techniques into a theatrical aesthetic. Virginie Pougnaud makes and paints decorations, Christophe Clark photographs them. Some elements, objects or characters are photographed separately and then added to the set. If their images may seem like simple portraits, they are in reality strange and sophisticated staging. Over the years, the sets have been stripped to sum up to the essentials. With the Eden series, a season in Paradise, exhibited in Chaumont-sur-Loire in 2021-2022, they are starting a break, giving up post-production techniques in favour of shooting installations. Fetish (2020-2021) inspired by diverse collections of objects, continues this research in a post-surrealist aesthetic. A Poils (2023), a variation on the skin theme, revives the use of models.

Clark and Pougnaud create atmospheres more than they create images. They invite to a dreamlike walk, to contemplation, to the exploration of our own imagination in a society that runs at full speed.