Philippe Cazal's Retrospective at mfc-michèle didier

The gallery mfc-michèle didier in Paris presents a rereading of Philippe Cazal's work in the exhibition 'Des œuvres… Voire quelques saillies', running until April 29, 2023. Curated by Michèle Didier, the show features about ten emblematic pieces from the 1980s and 1990s, following Cazal's involvement with the collective UNTEL. Highlights include a series of photographic self-portraits with words like 'Mode' and 'À nous deux, Jack Daniel' (1982), a kit comprising a square white metal coffee table and a wall panel inscribed with 'Alors l’élite expliquez-nous ?' and 'Alors l’élite expliquez-vous ?' (1989), and the framed 'L’artiste dans son milieu' published on the front page of Pravda in 1994. Cazal, a graduate of the Arts Décoratifs in Paris, creates glamorous images that subvert advertising and marketing codes with irony. He turns his signature into a logo, branding himself, and presents his reflections as commercial or political slogans such as 'L’art ne fait pas crédit' or 'J’étais peintre et sculpteur lorsque j’ai pris la décision d’être artiste'. The exhibition critiques the contemporary art world's absorption by market forces, transforming artworks into products.