Hauser & Wirth
The exhibition Eternal Beginning / Éternel recommencement highlights a crucial period in Francis Picabia's career, both little-known and revolutionary, between 1945 and 1953. During this period, the artist, a former member of the Dada movement, explored new forms of abstraction, far removed from the provocation of earlier years. His works became a field of experimentation, where he combined paint and unconventional materials, creating dense compositions rich in texture and symbolism.
Picabia's career was marked by his involvement in several artistic movements, from Dada to abstract art. His role as a central figure in the Dada movement in Paris in the early 20th century established his reputation. However, his work has always been characterized by a constant quest to reinvent and subvert artistic conventions. After the First World War, Picabia withdrew in part from the art scene, but his return in the 1940s and 1950s revealed a profound desire to redefine his practices and his relationship with painting.
This reinvention is reflected in Eternal Beginning / Éternel recommencement, where Picabia uses motifs and visual structures to question the human condition, the passage of time and the cyclical nature of artistic creation. His works, both informal and poetic, capture a form of eternal recommencement, a recurring theme in his work. Through this exhibition, Hauser & Wirth breathes new life into this often-overlooked period of the artist's life, and bears witness to his lasting influence on contemporary art.
For further details, please consult the exhibition here.