Friends of Frac Lorraine Curate Exhibition at Arsenal, Metz

In Metz, France, the exhibition 'Parcours de choix' at Arsenal (January 11 to February 2, 2003) presents works from the Frac Lorraine collection, selected and installed by a group of volunteers from the Friends of Frac Lorraine. This initiative follows two earlier 'Scènes de ménages' exhibitions in private apartments (1998 in Metz, 2001 in Metz and Nancy), organized to support the Frac's search for permanent premises. Over a year, ten volunteers reviewed 600 works to create this public display. The exhibition features pieces by Ernest T (ironic questioning of authenticity), Nicolas Floch (Frac portable), Annette Messager (sarcastic proverbs), and Pierrick Sorin (Je me regarde le Sorin). Photography is prominent, reflecting Metz's Mois de la photo in the 1980s, with works by Éric Poitevin (Crânes series), Balthazar Burkhard (Veines), José Calvelo (L'Inachevé), Lin Delpierre, and Suzanne Lafont. The show closes with a monumental piece by Gloria Friedmann, while a Thomas Struth photograph of a man gazing at a 17th-century painting lingers in memory. Claude Rossignol reported.