William S. Burroughs: First Paris Exhibition at Semiose Gallery

Semiose Gallery in Paris presents the first exhibition dedicated to Beat Generation writer William S. Burroughs, featuring rare works and drawings. The show runs until July 23. Burroughs, a major 20th-century literary figure, spent his last fifteen years painting, influenced by historical avant-gardes (especially Marcel Duchamp in 1950s Paris) and esoteric ideas from Castaneda. He began artistic experiments in 1982 during his retreat in Lawrence, Kansas, using collage, stencil, drawing, spray paint, fluorescent colors, and unconventional supports like cardboard folders and doors. His first Shotgun Painting sparked a period of intense experimentation. Burroughs exhibited with Brion Gysin, sharing collage work from 1963 onward. Posthumous recognition includes a 1996 show at LACMA, a 2012 exhibition at ZKM Karlsruhe, and a 2014 show at The Photographer's Gallery in London. Concurrently, the Centre Pompidou hosts a comprehensive Beat Generation exhibition providing historical context.