Simon Hantaï is a French painter of Hungarian origin, considered a major figure of abstraction, known for his unique folding technique.
On the occasion of the artist's centenary, the Foundation Louis Vuitton is offering a retrospective of his work, bringing together more than 130 works, some of which have never been exhibited before.
The exhibition follows a chronological thread of the artist's successive, surprising and distinct periods, starting with Ecriture Rose (1958-1959).
Starting with Pink Writing is a bold choice on the part of the curator Anne Baldassari, as this work created between 1958 and 1959 is a canvas unknown to the general public, donated to the State. Ecriture rose is an illegible and indecipherable work, mysterious, made up of texts by Goethe, Heidegger or Hegel, copied over nights and days by the artist and punctuated, underlined and drowned under the abstract signs and symbols that make up Hantaï's entire aesthetic philosophy.
Finally, what is interesting in the scenography of this exhibition is the highlighting of Hantaï's work through the works of artists who may have influenced his work, such as Henri Matisse (with his cut-out papers) or Jackson Pollock (with his paint projections).
