Downtown Design
redazione 21/02/2023

A gateway to possible worlds. Art & science fiction

Centre Pompidou-Metz, France

Under the guise of anticipating the future, science fiction speaks to us of the present. It is a laboratory of hypotheses that manipulate and extrapolate the repressive norms and dogmas of today’s world, its ambitions, social afflictions, opportunities and perils. A Gateway To Possible Worlds exhibition, curated by Alexandra Müller, brings together over 200 works from the late 1960s to the present day.

Description : Jeannette EHLERS, *Black Bullets* [Balles noires], 2012 Courtesy de l’artiste © Adagp, Paris, 2022 Josèfa NTJAM, *The Deep – Living Memories* (détail), 2022 Commande du Centre Pompidou-Metz Courtesy de l’artiste et Nicoletti Contemporary, Londres Copyright : © Centre Pompidou-Metz / Photo Marc Domage / 2022 / Exposition Les Portes du possible. Art & science-fiction

Description: Jeannette EHLERS, *Black Bullets* [Balles noires], 2012 – Courtesy de l’artiste © Adagp, Paris, 2022 – Josèfa NTJAM, *The Deep – Living Memories* (détail), 2022 – Commande du Centre Pompidou-Metz – Courtesy de l’artiste et Nicoletti Contemporary, Londres – Copyright: © Centre Pompidou-Metz / Photo Marc Domage / 2022 / Exposition Les Portes du possible. Art & science-fiction

Art & science fiction whisks visitors away to a 2300m2 sci-fi world. It puts the spotlight on the bonds between imaginary worlds and our reality with the help of artists, authors, architects and film directors. It builds on current demands for 21st century utopias to spark debate, inspiration and a form of hope.

Description : Mathieu BRIAND, *Étant donné l’origine du monde*, 2016 Courtesy de l’artiste © Adagp, Paris, 2022 Gerda STEINER & Jörg LENZLINGER, *The Last Wilderness for Patent Nr. PBR’RYN2008019* [La dernière zone sauvage pour le brevet n° PBR’RYN2008019], 2013 Paris, collection Antoine de Galbert, 2199 Fabrice MONTEIRO, *Untitled #1*, 2013 De la série « The Prophecy » Paris, courtesy galerie MAGNIN-A, FM1812001E © Adagp, Paris, 2022 Max HOOPER SCHNEIDER, *Estuary Holobiont* [Holobionte d’estuaire], 2021 Courtesy de l’artiste, High Art, Paris et Arles, MHS208 et Maureen Paley, Londres Copyright : © Centre Pompidou-Metz / Photo Marc Domage / 2022 / Exposition Les Portes du possible. Art & science-fiction

Description: Mathieu BRIAND, *Étant donné l’origine du monde*, 2016 – Courtesy de l’artiste © Adagp, Paris, 2022 – Gerda STEINER & Jörg LENZLINGER, *The Last Wilderness for Patent Nr. PBR’RYN2008019* [La dernière zone sauvage pour le brevet n° PBR’RYN2008019], 2013 – Paris, collection Antoine de Galbert, 2199 – Fabrice MONTEIRO, *Untitled #1*, 2013
De la série « The Prophecy » – Paris, courtesy galerie MAGNIN-A, FM1812001E – © Adagp, Paris, 2022 – Max HOOPER SCHNEIDER, *Estuary Holobiont* [Holobionte d’estuaire], 2021 – Courtesy de l’artiste, High Art, Paris et Arles, MHS208 et Maureen Paley, Londres – Copyright: © Centre Pompidou-Metz / Photo Marc Domage / 2022 / Exposition Les Portes du possible. Art & science-fiction

The project by the architects Clémence La Sagna, Achille Racine and Georgi Stanishev immerses spectators in a science-fiction environment. Starting from a very ordinary archetype, the famous museum “white cube”, they have subverted and undermined it through a series of interventions: wide cracks open up gaps with porous areas between the spaces. The gaps act as passageways, whilst some walls are laid bare to reveal their structure, like flayed architecture.

Description : Huma BHABHA, *From Beyond* [Depuis l’au-delà], 2015 Collection particulière, courtesy C L E A R I N G, New York / Bruxelles Mary SIBANDE, *A Reversed Retrogress, (Scene 2)* [Un retour en arrière inversé], 2013 Vitry-sur-Seine, collection MAC VAL – Musée d’art contemporain du Val-de-Marne, 2014-2144 Yinka SHONIBARE, *Spacewalk* [Sortie spatiale], 2002 En collaboration avec The Fabric Workshop Courtesy de l’artiste et Stephen Friedman Gallery, Londres © Adagp, Paris, 2022 Copyright : © Centre Pompidou-Metz / Photo Marc Domage / 2022 / Exposition Les Portes du possible. Art & science-fiction

Description : Huma BHABHA, *From Beyond* [Depuis l’au-delà], 2015 – Collection particulière, courtesy C L E A R I N G, New York / Bruxelles – Mary SIBANDE, *A Reversed Retrogress, (Scene 2)* [Un retour en arrière inversé], 2013 – Vitry-sur-Seine, collection MAC VAL – Musée d’art contemporain du Val-de-Marne, 2014-2144 – Yinka SHONIBARE, *Spacewalk* [Sortie spatiale], 2002 – En collaboration avec The Fabric Workshop – Courtesy de l’artiste et Stephen Friedman Gallery, Londres – © Adagp, Paris, 2022 – Copyright: © Centre Pompidou-Metz / Photo Marc Domage / 2022 / Exposition Les Portes du possible. Art & science-fiction

Some floor slabs are missing to give a glimpse of the technical floor below, some gaps host films that are visible horizontally. It isn’t about creating a show-stopper but instead shaking up our senses to take us into another world and create a bond between container and content.

Description : Tadanori YOKOO, *Amazon*, 1989 Paris, Centre national des arts plastiques, FNAC 93779 Gerda STEINER & Jörg LENZLINGER, *The Last Wilderness for Patent Nr. PBR’RYN2008019* [La dernière zone sauvage pour le brevet n° PBR’RYN2008019], 2013 Paris, collection Antoine de Galbert, 2199 Fabrice MONTEIRO, *Untitled #1*, 2013 De la série « The Prophecy » Paris, courtesy galerie MAGNIN-A, FM1812001E © Adagp, Paris, 2022 Copyright : © Centre Pompidou-Metz / Photo Marc Domage / 2022 / Exposition Les Portes du possible. Art & science-fiction

Description: Tadanori YOKOO, *Amazon*, 1989 – Paris, Centre national des arts plastiques, FNAC 93779 – Gerda STEINER & Jörg LENZLINGER, *The Last Wilderness for Patent Nr. PBR’RYN2008019* [La dernière zone sauvage pour le brevet n° PBR’RYN2008019], 2013 – Paris, collection Antoine de Galbert, 2199 – Fabrice MONTEIRO, *Untitled #1*, 2013 – De la série « The Prophecy » – Paris, courtesy galerie MAGNIN-A, FM1812001E – © Adagp, Paris, 2022 – Copyright : © Centre Pompidou-Metz / Photo Marc Domage / 2022 / Exposition Les Portes du possible. Art & science-fiction

Curatore: Alexandra Müller
Fino al 17 April 2023, Grande Nef e Galerie 3

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