Melancholy, a state of stagnation for which there is seemingly no reason, is an important part of the process of gaining (self-)knowledge. Today, melancholy is often triggered by the awareness that it is impossible for others to perceive us or see us in a way that corresponds to our own self-image. Yet the thoughtful “staging of ourselves” basically conditions our existence, both in public and in private. While melancholically strolling through the exhibition, visitors are likely to encounter the dilemmas of their own (un)stylized existences through these artworks, which explore or exploit the principle of self-stylization.

Collaborating Institutions: CAC Brétigny, Sandwich (Bucharest), Cité Internationale des Arts (Paris), FRAC Lorraine (Metz), Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art (Riga)

The exhibition is part of an international project called The Real Show, copyleft concept by curators Céline Poulin and Agnès Violeau.