Under the patronage of the President of the French Republic, François Hollande and the President of the Republic of Haiti, Michel Martelly, the Grand Palais (Southeast Gallery) in Paris, will host from November 19, 2014 to February 15, 2015 the Exhibition "Haiti, two centuries of artistic creation", organized by the Réunion des Musées Nationaux.

This is the first time that France offers Haiti a prestigious exhibition. This exhibition is dedicated to the Haitian artistic creation of the nineteenth century to the present. Around a core of contemporary works, some carried out specifically for the occasion, the exhibition presents in a non-chronological order, the highlights of the history of Haitian art.

It aims to take a fresh look at this art insufficiently known in France, by exceeding stereotypes of naive painting and magic-religious vision and exotic too often narrowly associated with Haitian art. Without discarding the syncretic influences, the exhibition reflects the extraordinary vitality of artistic creation in Haiti, where everything is transformed in all circumstances.

With nearly 60 Haitian artists from different countries and more than 160 works from public and private collections in Haiti (Haitian National Pantheon Museum (MUPANAH), Museum of Haitian art, St. Pierre College, Library of the Fathers of the Holy Spirit , Haitian Lodge of Cap-Haitien, Foundation FPVPOCH / Marianne Lehmann, Fondation Culture Création françaises (Château de Versailles, Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Marseille Contemporary Art Museum) and the Milwaukee Art Museum, the exhibition presents an artistic creation free of any rigid framework, combining poetry, magic, religion and political engagement.

Around seven sections, including a duo with Jean-Michel Basquiat et Hervé Télémaque, set design leaves plenty of room for contemporary artists of all generations living in Haiti (Mario Benjamin, Sébastien Jean, André Eugène, Frantz Jacques aka Guyodo, Céleur Jean-Hérard, Dubréus Lhérisson, Patrick Vilaire, Barbara Prézeau, Pascale Monnin...) ; in France (Hervé Télémaque, Elodie Barthélemy) ; in Germany (Jean-Ulrick Désert) ; in Finland (Sasha Huber ; in the United States (Edouard Duval Carrié, Vladimir Cybil Charlier) and in Canada (Marie-Hélène Cauvin, Manuel Mathieu).

The exhibition is divided according several theme in our main chapters : "Santit yo" (Untitled)represents the popular figures and scenes of everyday life ; "Lespri yo" (Spirits), confronts works profane or sacred of voodoo and Catholic religions and symbols Freemasons ; "Peyizaj yo" (Landscapes), emphasizes the work of artists banned in 1950-1960 because too contemporary and finally "Chèf y" (Leaders) explores the construction of identity through the representation of figures of political power and intellectual Haitian.

Outside the Grand Palace, visitors will be greeted by a monumental sculpture of Édouard Duval Carrié.

SL/ HaitiLibre