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Raoul Marek's 'Exile-elîxE' at Musée Zadkine Explores Nomadic Identity

exhibition · 2026-04-23

The Musée Zadkine in Paris is hosting Raoul Marek's exhibition titled 'Exile-elîxE, la salle du monde' from May 16 to October 13, 2002. This event reinterprets his 1993 work 'La Salle du monde' from Château d'Oiron, which featured a banquet for 150 local residents using Sèvres porcelain. At the 2000 Lyon Biennale, it transformed into a restaurant. In this new exhibition, the emphasis is on themes of displacement and exile, with tables adorned in paper napkins showcasing various landscapes. Featured are photomontages from his time in Martinique, including 'Sainte-Marie' (2001), alongside Cuban pieces like 'Nord' (2001) and 'Havanna' (2001). Marek, a Czech-born nomadic artist, also hosts dinners for eight international guests in Paris.

Key facts

  • Exhibition 'Exile-elîxE, la salle du monde' at Musée Zadkine, Paris, from May 16 to October 13, 2002.
  • Reimagines Marek's 1993 installation 'La Salle du monde' at Château d'Oiron.
  • Original installation involved 150 Oironnais in a banquet with Sèvres plates engraved with their silhouettes.
  • At 2000 Lyon Biennale, the work was a restaurant open to visitors.
  • At Zadkine, tables with paper napkins showing unidentifiable landscapes invite drink consumption.
  • Features photomontages from Martinique residency, including 'Sainte-Marie' (2001) depicting a cockfight.
  • Video 'La Salle du monde, exil, l’eau de vie' (2001) shows doubled, reversed marine views.
  • Cuban photomontages 'Nord' (2001) and 'Havanna' (2001) reject exoticism and imply political critique.
  • Marek is Canadian-born, of Czech origin, Swiss nationality.
  • Sculpture series 'Têtes' (2002) in multiplex wood with labyrinthine colored lines.
  • Parallel dinners for eight people at eight foreign-origin hosts in Paris.

Entities

Artists

  • Raoul Marek

Institutions

  • Musée Zadkine
  • Château d'Oiron
  • Biennale de Lyon
  • Centre des Cultures et des Arts de la Caraïbe

Locations

  • Paris
  • France
  • Oiron
  • Lyon
  • Sainte-Marie
  • Martinique
  • Cuba

Sources