Guillaume Paris's 'Priceless' at Galerie Nelson

Guillaume Paris's exhibition 'Priceless' at Galerie Nelson in Paris ran from September 13 to October 31, 2003. The show's invitation card features a burning crown of thorns from the video loop 'Burning Busch,' evoking apocalyptic visions, divine wrath, or war rhetoric. Paris applies semiology to advertising and religious imagery, exposing idolatrous and fetishistic relationships with icons. Works include 'Epiphanies,' stone-carved phrases from the Solar Temple; 'Infinite Justice,' a disappointed angel doll; and 'Carnival of Souls,' a white parallelepiped with flickering orange bulbs. The installation juxtaposes consumer and sacred objects, drawing an analogy between commodity fetishism and religious adoration. The exhibition's scenography illustrates the semantic functioning of Paris's works, staging fascination with religious or artistic aura while employing ironic titles. Anne Bonnin reviewed the exhibition for artpress.