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02/09/2010: "CAPC, or Life in the Grip of Art"

This poetic expression (taken from Paul Ardenne's 1993 Capc ou le musée aventureux) is the title of the new exhibition showing the collection of the CAPC contemporary art museum in Bordeaux that opened on the 6th February and will run until the 22ndf August 2010. In keeping with the tradition of the museum, the collection is put forward on a regular basis following a thematic approach. Rather than show the 1000-work collection permanently (which would be virtually impossible), the idea is to give a carte blanche to a curator to present a selection of works from the CAPC, from a specific angle or problematic, shedding new light on the works and offering to the public at large an original approach to major artworks of the last fifty years.



This time around, the collection was put in the capable hands of Aurelie Voltz. An independent curator based in Berlin, Aurelie has curated shows all over Europe; at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, Present Future at Artissima in Turin, The Fair Gallery in London, La Maison Rouge in Paris and many more, whilst contributing regularly to Flash Art International and 02.

The starting point of her exhibition is Christian Boltanski's Inventory of objects that belonged to a young girl in Bordeaux (1973-90). This colossal art work starts the exhibition, presenting 8 small and 4 huge display cabinets in the first two rooms of the Foy Gallery, meticulously organising and labeling the belongings of this anonymous person who one day decided to put her past behind her and give away all that she owned. As in this work, Man is ever present throughout the exhibition, but very rarely showing his face - human presence is suggested not shown.
Boltanski's work is a reflection on the notion of a museum or of a collection. From then on, Aurelie Voltz presents works that for her fit this problematic, using two different angles: reminiscing on the museum of Popular Art and Traditions invented in the 1930's by George-Henri Riviere with an almost anthropological approach, and introducing works lent by the FRAC Aquitaine (Regional Fund for Contemporary Art) and other up-and-coming young artists that she saw relevant. The whole creates a witty and interesting dialogue with the CAPC collection, bringing artworks to life in the 17 galleries devoted to the show.

Headlining artists such as Miquel Barcelo, Chohreh Feyzdjou, Richard Baquie, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster and On Kawara sit side by side with 'guests' such as Leonor Antunes, Lili Reynaud Dewar and the promising German artist Stef Heidhues. The FRAC Aquitaine collection contributes with several "stars", the likes of John M. Armleder, Diane Arbus and Joseph Kosuth, while also putting forward budding talents Chantal Raguet, Christophe Doucet and Hans Van den Ban. In a scenography that is limited to a minimum, playing with the walls and architecture of the old colonial warehouse, the artworks spell out an inspiring yet simple installation that will lead the spectator through different worlds. Rich, alive and accessible to all ages, CAPC, or Life in the Grip of Art puts the 60 artworks from the CAPC's collection in a new light, paying tribute to four decades of impressive acquisitions.

CAPC, or Life in the Grip of Art
6th February - 22nd August 2010
CAPC contemporary art museum of Bordeaux
www.rosab.net
www.bordeaux.fr/ville/capc