Prior to its temporary closure for renovation in 2025, Centre Pompidou bids farewell to Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi with a comprehensive exhibition titled “Brancusi, l’art ne fait que commencer” (Brancusi, art is just the beginning), showcasing nearly 200 sculptures, photos, drawings, films, and archive documents, the largest French retrospective dedicated to the influential Romanian sculptor and the biggest in Europe. Business Review went to Paris to see how the artist’s magic has been interpreted.
The retrospective at Centre Pompidou traces the sculptor’s extensive artistic journey, emphasising the intricacies of the creative process. The comprehensive tour encompasses a visit to the sculptor’s studio remake, which is currently closed to the public, yet visitors can delve into the space of life, encounter, creation, and contemplation, just as envisioned by Brancusi.
“The sculptor’s studio was above all an emotion rather than a mere location. It was ablaze. Visitors to the studio were blasted with an onslaught of whiteness and light, greeted by a host of upright rooster figures reaching for the sky. This was a motif that Brancusi used over and over for thirty years. Roosters are the emblem of France, the artist’s host country, and also symbolise daybreak through their song,” says the audio guide & podcast created by Clara Gouraud and Delphine Coffin for the exhibition.
Curtesy of the curatorial vision of Ariane Coulondre—who also proposes an immersive experience in Brancusi’s studio remake, realised with the help of scenographer Pascal Rodriguez—, visitors have the opportunity to appreciate the artist’s journey spanning his Romanian roots to early days and debut in Paris in 1904 at 28 years old, as well as his significant triumphs and most contentious creations.
For the first time, having made several visits to Atelier Brancusi in Paris over the past 15 years, I was impressed by the curator’s deliberate emphasis on Brancusi’s Romanian heritage, meticulously intertwined with his masterful manipulation of materials like wood, stone, and bronze, underlining how he translated this rich heritage into timeless masterpieces.
Furthermore, an exquisite collection of masterpieces was curated from Romania, courtesy of the National Museum of Art (MNAR) and the Art Museum in Craiova, adding a distinguished dimension to this remarkable series. Additionally, a meticulous recreation of a traditional Romanian wooden gate, originating from Oltenia—the artist’s native region—and dating back to 1884 was also included. This gate is presently housed within the esteemed portfolio of the National Museum of Natural History in Marseille, providing valuable insight into the artist’s profound affinity for woodwork and a very impressive touch to the entire exhibition.
Marcel Duchamp about Princess X masterpiece, in which masculine and feminine merge into the same image, tapping into the androgyny theme: “The viewer makes the work of art”
Both chronological and organised by different themes, the exhibition continues with portraits and muses, feminine and masculine, the relationship to flight, animals, and his evolution towards oblique and horizontal forms, as well as a invitation to sit and contemplate the piece called Léda (1926), which is presented in motion, on a rotating pedestal, in perpetual metamorphosis, as Constantin Brancusi himself presented it in his studio.
The Brancusi exhibition closes with some of the artist’s monumental works, including his famous Endless Column, which was installed in the garden of his friend Edward Steichen in Voulangis, along with a series of references to where other columns made by Brancusi are located in the world.
Along with the displayed works, the curator chose to reveal some details about the Romanian sculptor’s other affinities, such as dance and music, which were important parts of his life. We learn that Brancusi was impressed by the music of composers such as Erik Satie, Darius Milhaud or Marcel Mihalovici.
The exhibition is open until July 1, 2024.
