Djabril Boukhenaissi, Sainte Blaise, 2024, Lee Ufan, Arles. Exhibition view © Camille Kirnidis
From July 1 to September 1, 2024, Lee Ufan Arles and Maison Guerlain will present a solo exhibition titled À ténèbres by Djabril Boukhenaïssi, winner of the first Art & Environment Prize.
The exhibition presents a series of new paintings and engravings that explore the poetic of contemporary night, inspired by German literature, music, and Boukhenaïssi's residency experience in Arles. With this exhibition title, which takes up an expression that disappeared in the mid-nineteenth century to designate "at nightfall", the artist evokes the idea that the disappearance of night leads to a diminishment of the imaginary in all the arts and in language.
The exhibition presents a series of new paintings and engravings that explore the poetic of contemporary night, inspired by German literature, music, and Boukhenaïssi's residency experience in Arles. With this exhibition title, which takes up an expression that disappeared in the mid-nineteenth century to designate "at nightfall", the artist evokes the idea that the disappearance of night leads to a diminishment of the imaginary in all the arts and in language.
Boukhenaïssi's artworks are structured around various themes of visual exploration, with recurring elements such as the symbolic use of violet to symbolize night, the nocturnal Phalene moth, and the Alyscamps in Arles as a central motif. His compositions blend historical nocturnal figures with modern interpretations, merging fantastical elements with scientific observation to enrich his artistic expressions.
June 6, 2024
