Art Highlights
Prune Nourry Takes Aim at Le Bon Marché
A leading figure of the international contemporary art stage, Prune Nourry, living between France and the United States, is bringing her vision to life with talent, through multiple means such as sculpture, installations, performances and also, cinema. Through to February 21, 2021, she has been given free rein in Bon Marché’s unique space with a series of exclusive work specifically created for the occasion.
L'Amazone Érogène offers a metaphor inspired by the artist’s very personal experience with breast cancer. In true catharsis fashion, following her cancer-free diagnosis, this installation lingers on her documentary called “Serendipity”, directed in 2019 and echoes other important themes close to Nourry’s heart, such as procreation. The swarm of arrows shooting towards the target mimics thousands of spermatozoids rushing towards an ovary during fertilization. Prune Nourry’s unique piece of art reveals a strong yet sensitive message of hope, one that carries a range of meaning to whoever experiences it. Directly inspired by a challenge the artist personally had to overcome, the installation pays tribute to life forces and the strength of women.
“I also gained a lot from sharing with others– from exchanges with my neighbours or searchers, people closer to me or that I met on the other side of the globe. I realised that the people I met and the subjects I talked about, in one way or another, resonated from who I was as a human being and what I believed in. This is where a universal language lies.”
Nourry’s installation, L'Amazone Érogène, carries on the theme of Catharsis where the figure of the Amazon already appeared, which allows the artist to experiment with a larger scale, that is unique to the iconic Parisian department store. Starting outside, people will be able to experience the work of Prune Nourry through the wide-open windows, with arrows formed as geometrical patterns inspired by American minimalism and artists such as Sol LeWitt and Frank Stella. Then, upon entering, in the very heart of the Bon Marché is the obvious vision of the Amazon’s bow and arrows.