Giacometti Surrealist: Unseen Objects at Institut Giacometti

The exhibition 'Giacometti surréaliste. Des objets comme des sculptures' at the Institut Giacometti in Paris explores Alberto Giacometti's surrealist period from 1929 to 1935. It features sculptures, decorative objects, photographs, graphic works, and archival documents. Key works include 'La Boule suspendue' (1930-1931), which caused a stir among surrealists for its erotic tension, and 'L'Objet désagréable' (1931), a gourd-like form with spikes. Giacometti also created decorative pieces for clients like banker Pierre-David Weill and decorator Jean-Michel Frank, producing lamps, wall sconces, candlesticks, and tables. His 'Tête' lamp (1933-1934) depicts a female body without hands or legs. In 1933, he made a table with a veiled female head, a severed hand, and an alchemist's mortar, acquired by the Noailles for their villa in Hyères. The exhibition highlights his shift back to figurative sculpture in 1933, leading to his expulsion from the surrealist group by André Breton in 1935. Art historian Katia Sowels, who teaches at the École normale supérieure, notes Giacometti's use of ambivalent organic forms that are both attractive and aggressive. The exhibition runs until November 11, 2026.