Lorraine O'Grady
Beaux Arts

The exhibition Joie collective – Apprendre à flamboyer !  at the Palais de Tokyo explores joy as a possible horizon for resistance and unity. Through a selection of diverse works (video, photography, painting, textile art...) and interactive installations, it transforms the art center into a vibrant space, closely connected to the streets and their struggles. From Lorraine O’Grady to Thomas Hirschhorn, the exhibited works question collective memory and invite the public to become active participants in this unifying energy, where art becomes a field of engagement.

 

A young Black woman holds a golden frame—empty of any painting—up to her face. In profile, she boldly faces a policeman who looks at her mockingly, hands on his hips. This image takes us back to 1983, in the streets of Harlem, New York, during the African American Day Parade. Armed with empty frames and dressed entirely in white, a group of Black dancers and actors created a performance within the parade. They were part of an intervention by artist Lorraine O’Grady (1934–2024), who documented the moment in a photo series titled “Art Is...”.