La Halle Saint Pierre Museum Shows 'HEY!' Modern Art & Pop Culture

Written by Luke Perrier Tuesday, 22 November 2011 23:29

Paris.- La Halle Saint Pierre Museum, in association with HEY! Magazine, is proud to present the exhibition: "HEY! Modern Art & Pop Culture", an inevitable encounter within the alternative culture scene between the trends of pop culture and popular forms of contemporary and modern art like  Art Brut (Outsider Art) and Art Singulier. Our society is a “world-culture” in which pictorial art is omnipresent. Today, the influences of the street and the people are everywhere and even surpassing those of institutions. In the spirit of 'HEY!' Magazine, this exhibition aims to serve as a platform for Urban, Pop and Outsider art. "HEY! Modern Art & Pop Culture" is on view now and remains on exhibt through March 4th 2012.

A technological civilization is founded on the freedom of artistic creation and expression, providing a stable link between the cultural environment and its media. This exhibition presents 60 artists, who, in common, challenge hierarchical boundaries which separate “High Art” from popular culture. Their cultural genealogy and kinship gives this exhibition the allure of a 21st century cabinet of curiosities. Whether emblematic of pop culture or heirs to Art Singulier and Art Brut, they make up the pollen of free cultural creation. Since the development of counter-cultures around the world in the ‘60s, mostly self-taught artists from the world of comic books, cartoons, tattooing, graphzines, music, rock posters, graffiti, street art or movements of fringe art, have provided new and unique perspectives.

The subversive nature of their work and the mix of subcultures (psychedelia, punk, hip-hop, techno, hardcore) which are attracted to the absence of a written manifesto and the refusal to be locked down to a single ideology, provide a new vision and philosophy that provokes shockwaves around the world. In this mondomix, we can identify a common reference to symbols and ideas born from the language of the global underground, a love for conspicuously perceivable storytelling, an alternative to  – if not an outright rejection of – a society of outrageous consumption; a game of defying the elite by inversing the dominant certitudes of “beautiful” or “ugly”, and redefining “good” and “bad taste.” In addition, we see here a libertarian spirit mixed with surrealism.

In the ‘90s, this liberating energy, aided by the development of the internet with its incredible opportunities of communication and exchange of images, attracted fans and communities in exponential numbers who, for the first time in the history of painting, no longer needed a third party to connect the artist with the world. This instant relationship has been just as valuable between artists themselves, who also fervently participate in this vibrant scene. The collusion between the people and personal creation was therefore complete and uncensored. This exhibition remains faithful to this mobile and aware hybrid spirit  - regardless of reputation or recognition in the art world. In this perspective, it unites major, renowned artists  with those who are less known, alternatively presented on the same level because all their works carry an essential message in the eyes of 'HEY!'. Some are works never before seen in France - a dream for art lovers.


Others are works of leading artists in their fields or industries. Still others are newcomers which have achieved a level of excellence. This exhibition is also an opportunity for 'HEY!' to supplement its mission, giving a “first-hand” opportunity for its readers, ever more numerous and curious, to see works they have only previously admired in its pages. Founded in March 2010, 'HEY!', the French/English-language art magazine, has met growing success. It responds to fans’ interests by publishing images of a variety of modern mediums, such as graphic design, sculpture, painting, street art, graffiti, tattoo parlors, comic books, etc. The editorial line is clear and simple: to uniquely serve the work of artists by providing a platform for their voices. The mission of 'HEY!' is to display the originality, modernity, and intelligence of the people and the street. It transforms simple print into a collector’s item. Its writing reflects the interests of its readership: cultural figures, journalists, gallery owners, artists, painters, tattoo artists, and collectors. The magazine has no preformatted layout and can, therefore, flexibly present its featured work.

The Halle Saint-Pierre is a cultural center opened in 1995 located at the foot of Montmartre in Paris. This old market, built in 1868 by a disciple of Baltard, is a cultural and living venue that hosts specific temporary exhibitions designed around contemporary folk art, outsider art, naive art, the 'singular art and outsider art. The collection was originally formed by the publisher Max Fourny, who exhcnaged books for artworks that he undertook to exhibit in the museum he planned to create. The collection today consists of 629 works including 516 paintings, 13 works on paper, marquetry, 11 textile works and 47 under glass from 494 artists. In addition to the museum and exhibition spaces, La Halle Saint Pierre has an art bookstore, and auditorium. Since it opened, the museum has hosted more than 50 major exhibitions sharing and reflecting on unconventional and unusual forms of contemporary art. Visit the museum's website at ... http://www.hallesaintpierre.org

---

Click on logo below to add this article to your favorite Social Website ~