Claude Lévêque's 'Mon repos au château' at Institut Culturel Bernard Magrez

Claude Lévêque presents 'Mon repos au château' at the Institut Culturel Bernard Magrez in Bordeaux, running from October 12 to January 26. For the first time, the institute invites an artist to occupy the entire ground floor and part of the gardens of its 18th-century château. Lévêque, who represented France at the 2009 Venice Biennale, deliberately avoids the château's decorum, instead recontextualizing specific works to create opposition and subvert meaning. His ten 'devices' (as he calls them) draw on everyday objects linked to childhood and adolescence. At the entrance, 'Chagrin' features a neon sign with clumsy writing on a steel cage containing a moped. Inside, 'La Nuit' (1984), his oldest piece in the show, depicts haloed children in front of tipis, acknowledging influences from Christian Boltanski and Annette Messager. 'Le Chemin blanc' (2012) presents Flemish landscape paintings alongside a wooden plank with visible rings, an homage to his mother's final moments. Adjacent, 'Droit du plus fort' uses suspended exhaust pipes blasting a Van Halen remix. 'Déviation' is a war shelter made of car hoods. The titular 'Mon repos au château' features an overturned Citroën Traction adorned with a garland, playing the opening notes of a Michael Jackson hit, referencing WWII occupation and requisitions. A neon sign reads 'Nous irons jusqu'au bout…' The exhibition conveys a sense of unease, demonstrating how works shift meaning with context.