Alex prager Erik madigan heck stéphane dafflon Thomas liu le lann - press pack
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press pack
alex prager
Erik madigan heck
stéphane dafflon
Thomas liu le lann
03.11.2018 - 27.01.2019
musée des
beaux-arts
le locle
Marie-Anne-Calame 6
CH-2400 Le Locle
+41 (0)32 933 89 50
mbal@ne.ch • www.mbal.ch
Table of contents
A word from the director – Nathalie Herschdorfer 3
ALEX PRAGER – Silver Lake Drive 4
ERIK MADIGAN HECK – Old Future 5
STÉPHANE DAFFLON – PM070 6
THOMAS LIU LE LANn – ShowDown 7
New Heads – Fondation BNP Paribas Art Awards
Events 8
Press images 9
publications 12
2019 exhibition programme 14
Partners 15
Opening
Friday, November 2, 6:30 pm
Press contact
Valentin Grosjean
T +41 (0)32 933 89 50
valentin.grosjean@ne.ch
musée des
beaux-arts
le locle
Marie-Anne-Calame 6
CH-2400 Le Locle
+41 (0)32 933 89 50
mbal@ne.ch • www.mbal.ch
a word from the director
MBAL’s winter season offers an exploration of contemporary creation, from
photography to video, from murals to fabric sculptures. Exceptionally, the
four artists being highlighted by MBAL are young (from 24 to 46 years old)
– yet their respective achievements stand on their own, the product of the
artists’ overwhelming desire to create. The body of photographic and video-
graphic work developed over the past ten years by American Alex Prager is
unmistakable for its cinematic overtones. Her female subjects with a throw-
back look – troubled heroines beset by desire, expectation and drama – are
as seductive as they are solitary. The viewer is implicated in the artist’s tor-
ments by her meticulously choreographed scenes. Prager is one of the most
widely acclaimed figures on the international art scene, and MBAL is proud
to present the first retrospective of her work.
When it comes to artistic genres, Erik Madigan Heck is an iconoclast. A
rising star in contemporary fashion photography, Heck admits to drawing
greater inspiration from painting – Romanticism, Impressionism and Les
Nabis – than photography. On our museum’s walls, his innovative images
become timeless tableaux.
MBAL is also pleased to display the work of Thomas Liu Le Lann, who has
just won the New Heads – BNP Paribas Art Foundation Award. This prize for
young art school graduates, sponsored jointly by MBAL, the Geneva School
of Art and Design (HEAD) and the BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation, includes
the opportunity to show their work in a museum. In his piece, Liu Le Lann
beckons the viewer into a strange fiction populated by oversized dolls that
would be at home in a Japanese manga comic.
Lastly, a new series of semi-permanent exhibitions is being kicked off with
the mural work of Swiss artist Stéphane Dafflon. Invited by MBAL to
create a fresco on the walls of the museum café, the artist brings that space
to life in unexpected ways. Dafflon’s paintings, deceptively simple and mini-
malist, possess a strength that catches – and confounds – the eye. Our aim
with this series is to bring the art experience out of the exhibition rooms:
viewers are pulled into our world before even setting foot in our museum.
MBAL’s winter programme plays largely on emotions. Get ready for a seduc-
tive, charming, enthralling, irreverent and disconcerting experience !
Nathalie Herschdorfer
Director
musée des
beaux-arts
le locle
Marie-Anne-Calame 6
CH-2400 Le Locle
+41 (0)32 933 89 50
mbal@ne.ch • www.mbal.ch
3
Alex prager
silver lake Drive
Alex Prager, Desiree, from The Big Valley, 2018
© Courtesy Alex Prager Studio and Lehmann Maupin, New York and Hong Kong
MBAL is hosting the first retrospective of American photographer and film-
maker Alex Prager (b. 1979), one of the most iconic artists of our time. Pra-
ger’s unique body of work, built up over the past ten years, consists of pho-
tographs and films whose common denominator is a meticulously crafted
mise-en-scène. An undeniable sense of Hollywood and pop culture permeates
the work of this self-taught, Los Angeles-based artist. This exhibition brings
together her most important series of photographs, which together evoke a
universe filled with drama, emotion and humor. Los Angeles serves as both
inspiration and backdrop for her compositions – carefully staged scenes
bathed in an atmosphere both intriguing and seductive. Prager favors com-
plex sets, unafraid to deploy hundreds of extras who, lost in thought, are
given equal standing in her quasi tableaux vivants. She recreates everyday
scenes with her trademark attention to detail, yet her artifice is invariably
betrayed by a solitary female figure in the crowd, isolated by an angst all her
own. The exhibition also includes five films – Prager describes her immer-
sive film installations as ‘full-sensory versions’ of her photographs. At once
timeless and era-specific, Prager’s instantly recognizable aesthetic veers
between fantasy and hyperrealism. Hers is a world governed by a palpable
tension between fact and fiction, superficiality and depth.
This exhibition is organized by MBAL, in collaboration with Lehmann
Maupin Gallery in New York. A book – published in English by Thames &
Hudson and in French by Éditions Textuel – traces the brilliant trajectory
of an artist whose work has been shown in some of the most prestigious
museums in the world.
musée des
beaux-arts
le locle
Marie-Anne-Calame 6
CH-2400 Le Locle
+41 (0)32 933 89 50
mbal@ne.ch • www.mbal.ch
4
erik madigan heck
old future
© Erik Madigan Heck, Aberglasney Gardens, Wales, 2018
Courtesy Galerie Christophe Guye, Zurich
In his Old Future series, American photographer Erik Madigan Heck (b. 1983)
explores the intersection of photography and painting as he borrows from
and bends the genres of fashion photography, landscape painting and por-
traiture. Heck quickly gained prominence as a fashion photographer – his
work has appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair and The New York Times
Magazine – while at the same time making a name for himself in the art
world thanks to a sui generis photographic language. Influenced by Roman-
tic painters, Impressionists and Les Nabis, he is able to convey the essence
of painting through his lenswork and deft interplay of vivid colors and a
pointillist style, producing oneiric images that transcend time. The fashion
industry serves as a creative laboratory for Heck, whose creations neverthe-
less build on the work of the 20th century painters he admires.
This exhibition is organized by MBAL, in collaboration with Christophe Guye
Gallery in Zurich. It is accompanied by a book published by Thames & Hud-
son.
musée des
beaux-arts
le locle
Marie-Anne-Calame 6
CH-2400 Le Locle
+41 (0)32 933 89 50
mbal@ne.ch • www.mbal.ch
5
stéphane dafflon
pm070
© Stéphane Dafflon, PM070 (detail), 2018
With the fresco by Swiss painter Stéphane Dafflon (b. 1972), MBAL is kicking
off a new series of semi-permanent exhibitions created in situ. Dafflon is
one of a number of Swiss artists commissioned by MBAL to create a unique
work of art tailored to the museum’s architecture. PM070 is therefore the
first of a series to be featured on the walls of MBAL café, which, visible from
outside the building, create a visual link with the public. Dafflon’s work – a
clear and precise geometric grid – was designed on a computer and then
transposed from the virtual to the physical world. He alternates broad lines
of cold and warm hues, in keeping with the minimalist, abstract approach
and bold use of color he is known for. The result is a subtle palette of color
that changes with the sunlight, creating a sense of depth.
Stéphane Dafflon is represented by the Xippas Gallery (Geneva, Paris,
Montevideo and Punta del Este) and by the Francesca Pia Gallery (Zurich).
musée des
beaux-arts
le locle
Marie-Anne-Calame 6
CH-2400 Le Locle
+41 (0)32 933 89 50
mbal@ne.ch • www.mbal.ch
6
thomas liu le lann – New Heads –
BNP Paribas Art Foundation Awards
© Thomas Liu Le Lann, 5guys1tree, exhibition view Le Grand Tour, HEAD, Geneva, 2018
The BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation, in association with the Geneva School of
Art and Design (HEAD), launched the New Heads – BNP Paribas Art Foun-
dation Awards in 2012 to recognize two promising young graduates every
year. The Foundation adds one work from each winner to its collection and
showcases their talent at the artgenève art fair. The winners are also invited
to exhibit their work individually at a Swiss museum, providing excellent
visibility to the up-andcoming artists. MBAL, attuned to the research being
carried out at art schools in French-speaking Switzerland, has teamed up
with the New Heads – BNP Paribas Art Foundation Awards this year to dis-
play the work of French laureate Thomas Liu Le Lann (b. 1994). Liu Le Lann’s
piece, developed during his time at HEAD, is titled ShowDown and creates a
fictional world featuring large plush dolls inspired by Japanese mangas and
reminiscent of South Korea’s K-pop culture. Liu Le Lann’s ‘soft sculptures’
lie indolently on the ground and blur the lines between fetishism, violence
and robotics while at the same time evoking more bowdlerized elements of
pop culture.
This exhibition was produced with the support of HEAD and the BNP Paribas
Swiss Foundation.
musée des
beaux-arts
le locle
Marie-Anne-Calame 6
CH-2400 Le Locle
+41 (0)32 933 89 50
mbal@ne.ch • www.mbal.ch
7
events
Opening : Friday, November 2, 6.30 pm
Sunday, November 11, at 2:30 pm
Guided tour of the exhibitions
Included with admission.
Sunday, November 18, from 2:30 pm to 5 pm
Workshop Advent wreaths
Create your own wreath of dry flowers with the horticulturists
from l’Apothèque du Jorat. Course for adults. Booking only.
Sunday, December 2, at 2:30 pm
Guided tour of the exhibitions
Included with admission.
Sunday, December 9, from 2:30 pm to 5 pm
Workshop Advent wreaths
Create your own wreath of dry flowers with the horticulturists
from l’Apothèque du Jorat. Course for adults. Booking only.
Sunday, December 16, from 11 am to 2 pm
Brunch in the museum
Combine culture and gastronomy ! Between two mouthfuls,
the grown-ups visit freely the exhibitions while the little ones
are welcomed by one of our collaborator for a moment of creation.
For children of all ages. Booking recommended.
Sunday, January 6, at 2:30 pm
Guided tour of the exhibitions
Included with admission.
Saturday, January 12, from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Photo studio
By yourselves, with your family or with your friends,
have your photo taken by the photographer Matthieu Spohn.
Limited places. Booking only.
Sunday, January 27, at 11 am
La Grande Table
Awards, fellowships, residencies and mentorships…
From which supports benefit the young artists to enter the profesionnal
world? The museum welcomes several experts for a discussion.
Free admission, followed by a brunch. An event organized in collaboration
with the Galerie C, Neuchâtel.
musée des Sunday, January 27, at 2:30 pm
beaux-arts Guided tour of the exhibitions
le locle Included with admission.
Marie-Anne-Calame 6
CH-2400 Le Locle
+41 (0)32 933 89 50
mbal@ne.ch • www.mbal.ch
8
press images
Images cannot be reframed or retouched. Each photograph must be
accompanied by its legend and the appropriate photographic credit.
© Alex Prager, Crowd #9 (Sunset Five), 2013, from Face in the Crowd. © Alex Prager, Crowd #7 (Bob Hope Airport), 2013, from Face in
Courtesy Alex Prager Studio and Lehmann Maupin, New York the Crowd. Courtesy Alex Prager Studio and Lehmann Maupin,
and Hong Kong. New York and Hong Kong.
© Alex Prager, Lois, 2009, from Week-end and the Long Weekend.
Courtesy Alex Prager Studio and Lehmann Maupin,
New York and Hong Kong.
© Alex Prager, Desiree, 2008, from The Big Valley. Courtesy Alex © Alex Prager, 3.32pm, Coldwater Canyon, 2012,
Prager Studio and Lehmann Maupin, New York and Hong Kong. from Compulsion. Courtesy Alex Prager Studio
and Lehmann Maupin, New York and Hong Kong.
9
press images
Images cannot be reframed or retouched. Each photograph must be
accompanied by its legend and the appropriate photographic credit.
© Erik Madigan Heck, Aberglasney Gardens, Wales, 2018.
Courtesy Galerie Christophe Guye, Zurich.
© Erik Madigan Heck, Family in Turquoise, 2017. © Erik Madigan Heck, Study in Purple (Etro), 2012.
Courtesy Galerie Christophe Guye, Zurich. Courtesy Galerie Christophe Guye, Zurich.
© Erik Madigan Heck, Audrey Marnay (Harper’s Bazaar UK), 2015.
Courtesy Galerie Christophe Guye, Zurich.
10press images
Images cannot be reframed or retouched. Each photograph must be
accompanied by its legend and the appropriate photographic credit.
© Stéphane Dafflon, PM070 (detail), 2018.
Thomas Liu Le Lann, 5guys1tree, HEAD – Geneva, 2018.
© Emily Bonnet.
Thomas Liu Le Lann, 5guys1tree, HEAD – Geneva, 2018.
© Emily Bonnet.
Thomas Liu Le Lann, 5guys1tree, HEAD – Geneva, 2018. Thomas Liu Le Lann, 5guys1tree, HEAD – Geneva,
© Emily Bonnet. 2018. © Emily Bonnet.
11publications
Silver Lake Drive
Author : Alex Prager
Essays written by Michael Govan, Clare Grafik, Michael Mansfield
Interview with Nathalie Herschdorfer
Published by Thames & Hudson for the English edition
Published by Éditions Textuel for the French edition
Pages : 224
Illustrations : 120
Publication date : 2018
Old Future
Author : Erik Madigan Heck
Contributors : Susan Bright, Justine Picardie
Published by Thames & Hudson
Pages : 164
Illustrations : 100
Publication date : 2017
musée des
beaux-arts
le locle
Marie-Anne-Calame 6
CH-2400 Le Locle
+41 (0)32 933 89 50
mbal@ne.ch • www.mbal.ch
12publications
Stéphane Dafflon, un portrait sur sept ans
Author : Jeff Rian
Published by Editions Les Presses du Réel
Collection La salle de bain (Lyon)
Bilingual (fr/en) edition
Pages : 160 (with illustrations)
Publication date : 2007
Stéphane Dafflon
Author : Lionel Bovier
Published by Edizioni Periferia and Pro Helvetia
Collection Cahier d’Artistes
Bilingual (fr/en) edition
Pages : 28 (with illustrations)
Publication date : 2006
musée des
beaux-arts
le locle
Marie-Anne-Calame 6
CH-2400 Le Locle
+41 (0)32 933 89 50
mbal@ne.ch • www.mbal.ch
132019 Exhibition
programme
The MBAL’s spring 2019 program will be devoted to women artists, who
are still underrepresented in museums despite making up the majority of
art school students. An important exhibition, organized in partnership with
The Hepworth Wakefield gallery in the UK, will feature Dutch artist Viviane
Sassen (b. 1972). Her photographs of the human body – revealed by light,
obscured by shadows and refigured through reflections – usher the viewer
towards new representations of the feminine. Like the surrealist photo-
graphers preceding her, Sassen parses, alters and distorts the human form
in order to better explore it.
Our focus on women artists who interrogate female identity and whose view
of femininity offers a break from the male gaze to which we are so accusto-
med could not have a more fitting prelude than the Alex Prager exhibition
this winter.
© Viviane Sassen, Marte #02, from the UMBRA, series, 2014
musée des
beaux-arts
le locle
Marie-Anne-Calame 6
CH-2400 Le Locle
+41 (0)32 933 89 50
mbal@ne.ch • www.mbal.ch
14PARTNERS
The Museum of Fine Arts Le Locle is based on public funding from the city
of Le Locle, and is supported by the Société des Beaux-Arts et du Musée, Le
Locle, at the origin of the museum’s foundation in 1864. All the exhibitions
are supported by Loterie romande. The programs for families and kids are
supported by Clientis-Caisse d’Epargne CEC.
musée des
beaux-arts
le locle
Marie-Anne-Calame 6
CH-2400 Le Locle
+41 (0)32 933 89 50
mbal@ne.ch • www.mbal.ch
15GENERAL INFORMATION
Location
Musée des beaux-arts
Marie-Anne Calame 6
CH-2400 Le Locle
+41 (0)32 933 89 50
mbal@ne.ch
www.mbal.ch
Hours
Wed – Sun, 11 am – 5 pm
Admission
Adults : CHF 8
APS, students, apprentices and unemployed : CHF 5
Children 16 and under : free admission
First Sunday of the month : free admission
Opening
Friday, November 2, 6:30 pm
Press contact
Valentin Grosjean
T +41 (0)32 933 89 50
valentin.grosjean@ne.ch
musée des
beaux-arts
le locle
Marie-Anne-Calame 6
CH-2400 Le Locle
+41 (0)32 933 89 50
mbal@ne.ch • www.mbal.chYou can also read
