In the quiet but charming district of Montparnasse, just 5 minutes’ walk away from the modern and refreshing Foundation Cartier building, hides yet another hidden gem of the 14th arrondissement. Institut Giacometti, who resides in a four-floor art déco hôtel with a modest size and an even more modest entrance, has just opened its door to the parisien public last summer.
This tiny museum dedicates the ground floor to a reconstructed atelier of Giacometti, with sculptures, drawings, tools and even a bed. Protected by glasses, the atelier as a whole is presented as an art piece and is the ultimate showcase for Giacometti’s charm.
In less than a year, the Institut has held three exhibitions to Alberto Giacometti and other contemporary artists whose works were inspired by the master. However, <Flora>, the fourth exhibition now (April 5th to June 5th 2019) puts an unknown American artist in the spotlight who was sadly in the shadow of Giacometti’s life and art history, till now!
Flora Mayo moved to Paris in 1925 and became classmate and later lover of Giacometti. He called her “the American”, and she called him “Jack”. Each of them made a portrait of the other. When her family lost all fortune during the Great Depression, Flora was forced to destroy all her sculptures, and return to America. Later she worked in very precarious conditions while raising her illegitimate son as a single mother.
By creating the 30 min synchronized double sided film installation, Swiss American artist duo Teresa Hubbard and Alexander Birchler bring the compelling biography of Flora to life, reveal a particular period in Alberto Giacometti’s life, and discuss the role of women in art history and the writing of art history.
Institut Giacometti
5 rue Victor-Schoelcher, 75014 Paris
Visits with online reservation only
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