Dinard Exhibition Resurrects Dubuffet's Hallucinatory 'Hourloupe' Cycle

The Palais des Arts et du Festival in Dinard presents 'La houle du virtuel' (1962-1974), the first complete exhibition of Jean Dubuffet's 'Hourloupe' cycle. Running until September 20, the show assembles over 100 works from the Fondation Dubuffet, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Fonds Renault pour l'Art et la Culture, Musée de Grenoble, Opera Gallery, Nahmad collection, and private collections. The chrono-thematic display traces the evolution of Dubuffet's invented universe of red, blue, black, and white forms that began as ballpoint doodles during phone calls and expanded into paintings, sculptures, reliefs, and habitable architecture. A highlight is the resurrection of 'Coucou Bazar,' a 'living painting' performance that merged sets, costumes, music, and dance, staged only three times—at the Guggenheim New York and Grand Palais Paris in 1973, and Turin in 1978. Costumes, painted elements, and audiovisual archives revive this singular spectacle. Dubuffet (1901-1985) described 'Hourloupe' as a 'fantastical parallel universe,' a 'swell of the virtual' that blurs reality and imagination. The exhibition also features illustrated books, drawings, and architectural maquettes.