Boris Achour's Three Simultaneous Paris Exhibitions Explored Through Key Concepts

Three concurrent exhibitions in Paris showcase Boris Achour's work: 'Cosmos' at Palais de Tokyo (Sept 10–Oct 13), 'Flash Forward' at Galerie Chez Valentin (Oct 18–Nov 23), and 'Promotion' at Espace Paul Ricard (Oct 15–Nov 23). Curators Éric Mangion and François Piron use keywords to illuminate the complexity of Achour's practice, which employs uncertainty and dysfunction to question identity construction and embraces paradox. Mangion highlights the philosophical notion of 'the possible' as defined by Robert Musil—the ability to conceive what could be otherwise—manifested in works like 'Ghosty' (a masked man walking), 'Mmmmm' (a sound piece), and 'Plug & Play' (a game controller fixed to a wall). Piron discusses Achour's 'organization of chaos' through works like 'Cosmos', a collection of video cassette cases that juxtapose disparate cultural signs, and references influences such as Douglas Huebler, Fischli & Weiss, Matt Mullican, and Marcel Broodthaers. Mangion notes the 'evidence' in Achour's work, comparing it to Duchamp but without esotericism, citing 'Actions Peu', 'Scrupule' (an unusable sofa), and the neon sign 'Je ne veux tout'. Piron analyzes Achour's film 'Spirale', which contrasts linear and spiral movement, and discusses the artist's use of frozen moments in works like 'Stoppeur', 'Sommes', and 'Autoportrait en Coyote'. The curators conclude that Achour offers irresolution as a shared cognitive process based on doubt and self-distrust.