Vertiges at Printemps de Septembre: A Mixed Second Edition

The second edition of the Printemps de Septembre festival in Toulouse, curated by Jean-Marc Bustamante under the theme "Vertiges" (Dizziness), ran from September 23 to October 16, 2005, across five venues. The festival featured 25 artists, with a strong emphasis on painting, particularly at the Jacobins and Les Abattoirs, while video and photography were less prominent. Notable works included the Chapman brothers' engravings referencing Goya, Björn Dahlem's "Trou noir" structure, Jennifer Steinkamp's video fresco, Franz West's sculpture, and Gerhard Merz's light-painting environment. The festival also included the "Soirées Nomades" program with David Wampach's choreography "Bascule" and Olivier Mellano's live musical performance accompanying Murnau's "Sunrise." Critic Bernard Marcelis found the edition less successful than the first, citing questionable artist selections (e.g., James Rosenquist) and venue mismatches (e.g., Jean-Pierre Bertrand and Diana Thater). However, he praised intelligent confrontations, such as the war engravings by the Chapmans and Polke's French Revolution series alongside Daniel Schlier's glass paintings. The festival's identity remained strong through its graphic design and catalogue.