Michèle Métail: Two Marseille Exhibitions Explore Her Textual Labyrinths
In Marseille, two exhibitions honor Michèle Métail, a French poet and visual artist who has been examining the spatial arrangement of text for five decades. "C'est parce que les mots… Michèle Métail – Gigantextes," curated by Sally Bonn at Art-cade from February 22 to March 21, 2020, presents large-scale pieces that emphasize the graphic roots and malleability of writing. Associated with Oulipo and the experimental poetry of the 1970s, Métail constructs intricate textual and graphic mazes. Meanwhile, the Centre international de poésie Marseille (CipM) features "Topo/Phono/Graphes" from February 29 to April 25, 2020, displaying original visual poem matrices and audiovisual records of her performances. A closing event at Art-cade on March 20 will include a reading of "Portraits-robots réhaussés de couleurs véritables."
Key facts
- Two exhibitions in Marseille focus on Michèle Métail: 'C'est parce que les mots… Michèle Métail – Gigantextes' at Art-cade (Feb 22–Mar 21, 2020) and 'Topo/Phono/Graphes' at CipM (Feb 29–Apr 25, 2020).
- Curated by Sally Bonn, the Art-cade show features around ten large-format works exploring graphic origins of writing.
- Métail was associated with Oulipo and 1970s experimental poetry, notably Bernard Heidsieck.
- Her work includes scrolls, posters, photographs, entomological boxes, and calques.
- Métail's practice rejects completion, emphasizing perpetual movement and 'de-freezing' of language.
- The scroll functions as artwork, working document, and performance prop.
- At CipM, 'Topo/Phono/Graphes' displays original matrices of 1970s visual poems and audiovisual archives.
- Works include 'Poèmes topographiques' (1973) and 'Phénomènes' (with Louis Roquin, 1978).
- Métail long refused to publish texts, preferring experimental poetry 'outside the book.'
- Finissage on March 20, 2020 at Art-cade includes a reading by Métail.
Entities
Artists
- Michèle Métail
- Bernard Heidsieck
- Louis Roquin
- Sally Bonn
Institutions
- Art-cade – galerie des grands bains douches de la Plaine
- Centre international de poésie Marseille (CipM)
- Oulipo
- ENSBA de Lyon
- Centre Pompidou
Locations
- Marseille
- France
Sources
- artpress —