Huang Yong Ping's Arche 2009: A Burning Noah's Ark at École des Beaux-Arts
The installation 'Arche 2009' by Huang Yong Ping was on display at the Chapelle de l'École nationale des beaux-arts de Paris until December 1, 2009, and at Galerie Kamel Mennour until December 19, 2009. This work, inspired by a February 2008 visit to the fire-affected taxidermy shop Deyrolle, features a boat made of wood and paper measuring 15 meters in length, populated by over a hundred taxidermied creatures. In contrast to the biblical ark, it illustrates themes of divine lightning, fire, and predation, symbolizing societal collapse and alluding to modern crises. Curated by Jean de Loisy and supported by Galerie Kamel Mennour, the chapel's inverted hull ceiling acts as an 'ark of art,' echoing Géricault's 'Raft of the Medusa' and Dante's 'Inferno.'
Key facts
- Huang Yong Ping's 'Arche 2009' was installed at the Chapelle de l'École nationale des beaux-arts de Paris until December 1, 2009.
- A concurrent exhibition at Galerie Kamel Mennour ran until December 19, 2009.
- The work was inspired by a February 2008 fire at Deyrolle taxidermy shop at 46 rue du Bac, Paris.
- The ark measures 15 meters long, 4.5 meters wide, and 8 meters high.
- It contains over a hundred taxidermied animals, including tigers, giraffes, lions, polar bears, and zebras.
- An elephant pair was made in resin in China due to international protection laws.
- The ark's mast appears struck by lightning, with fire spreading among the animals.
- The work critiques contemporary financial, political, and ecological crises.
- Curator Jean de Loisy was involved.
- The chapel houses copies of Italian Renaissance works, including a copy of Michelangelo's 'Last Judgment'.
Entities
Artists
- Huang Yong Ping
- Richard Leydier
- Jean de Loisy
- Louis Albert de Broglie
- Kamel Mennour
- Bertolt Brecht
- Michelangelo
- Dante Alighieri
- Géricault
Institutions
- École nationale des beaux-arts de Paris
- Galerie Kamel Mennour
- Deyrolle
- Walker Art Center
- Centre d'art de Vassivière-en-Limousin
- Galerie Anne de Villepoix
- MASS MoCA
- Barbara Gladstone Gallery
- Ullens Center for Contemporary Art
- art press
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Xiamen
- China
- Minneapolis
- Vassivière-en-Limousin
- North Adams
- New York
- Beijing
- Belgium
Sources
- artpress —