Catherine Millet recalls André Chastel in Louvre film

In the second episode of artpress's 'Recommencer nos classiques' series, editor Catherine Millet reflects on art historian André Chastel, prompted by the Louvre's free online release of Edgardo Cozarinsky's 1990 film 'André Chastel, un sentiment de bonheur.' Millet interviewed Chastel in 1982 for artpress issue 61 and was charmed by his elegance and courtesy. She describes Chastel as a pivotal figure in the transition from conceptual art to a renewed interest in European tradition. Millet highlights Chastel's method of attending to 'secondary gestures' in artworks, his writings on Dada ('Le Jeu et le Sacré dans l'art moderne,' 1955), and his column in Le Monde. She contrasts his approach with the current flood of online images from museums, arguing that digital reproductions cannot replace the in-situ experience. The film features Chastel in Italy, answering questions from Guy Cogeval and Philippe Morel, and includes his remark that 'the purpose of our discipline is to find a certain happiness.' Millet recommends taking time to watch the film and to contemplate art on paper rather than screens.