Omer Fast at gb Agency, until January 14
Omer Fast’s new exhibition at gb Agency comprises two video pieces and an installation of a medicine cabinet. In his 2008 video Looking Pretty for God, shown here for the first time in France, Fast focuses on the profession of morticians. His film explores the macabre process through glossy, heavily edited shots. The second film August, a 3D short from 2016, gives a half fictional, half real account of the life of August Sander, the celebrated photographer of German life during the Weimar Republic.
Jean-Luc Verna at Mac Val, until February 26
Tens of drawings by Jean-Luc Verna feature in the retrospective “Vous n’êtes pas un peu trop maquillé?” (Don’t you think that’s a bit too much makeup?) at Mac Val. On display are tired, tattooed bodies, laid completely bare. The Universal logo is a motif Verna revisits over and over again in various permutations: Paramor, Paramour, Puramour, Piramour. We are eagerly awaiting the date of his next concert to see the artist perform in person!
Enrique Ramirez at Michel Rein gallery, until January 11
In “Le Gravedad,” Ramirez’s second exhibition at Michel Rein gallery, the artist offers a poetic reflection on the political history of his native Chile — a history littered with violence, intolerance, and injustice. To find out more, read our interview with the artist here.
Barbara Navi at 24 Beaubourg, until December 17
The title of Barbara Navi’s exhibition — “Anabase” — refers to the most famous work of Xenophon, a Greek soldier and writer from antiquity. Literally meaning “expedition up from,” Anabasis tells the story of an army of Greek mercenaries who were defeated in battle and forced to roam for thousands of miles before finding their homeland. Navi explores this concept of “expedition” through the lens of Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1972 film Solaris, a psychodrama that unfolds during a space voyage. Through these two reference points, her exhibition throws into relief the suffering currently experienced by displaced peoples. To discover more, visit Navi’s website.
ZEVS at the Château de Vincennes, until January 29
The Château de Vincennes presents “Noir éclair” (“Black Lightning)”, a retrospective of the iconoclastic artist ZEVS. The fact that an exhibition dedicated to street art has found its way into such an important national heritage site indicates the positive recognition the movement has gained over the years. The exhibition commission is led by Marie Deparis-Yafil and Stéphane Chatry.
