Possessed

Necromancy and spiritism, divination (astrology, fortune-telling, palmistry), magic and alchemy (spells, potions, elixirs) are among those gestures and rituals whose force springs forth from a body in movement. The occult only acquires meaning through performance. It is banished bodies that seize hold of such acts.

The occult is the science of deviant bodies. It is necessary to be excluded and, in return, to exclude oneself from social, religious or economic norms in order to become a witch or a voodoo priest, to converse with spirits and let oneself be carried away by them. In this sense, the occult sets itself up as resistance against dogma, patriarchy, dominant powers, religions, accepted knowledge systems: in other words, the majority. By its nature, it is that which is hidden and other. It is that which reveals.

The richly illustrated, bilingual catalogue brings together specially commissioned contextual essays and critical texts. An essay by Marianne Derrien adopts a transhistorical approach to discuss magic and expand upon the themes introduced by the exhibition. In addition, a plurality of voices offer a critical analysis of each artist’s work, with texts by Camille Bardin, Margaux Bonopera, Caroline Chabrand, Giulia Civardi, Thomas Conchou, Julie Crenn, Chris Cyrille, Cédric Fauq, Anya Harrison, Caroline Honorien, Eliel Jones, Ingrid Luquet-Gad, Flora Katz, Franklin Melendez, Pedro Morais, Laureen Picaut, Taddeo Reinhardt and Barbara Sirieix.

Artists of the exhibition : Nicolas Aguirre, Kelly Akashi, Nils Alix-Tabeling, Jean-Marie Appriou, Raphaël Barontini, Sedrick Chisom, Pauline Curnier Jardin, Iain Forsyth et Jane Pollard, Laura Gozlan, Lewis Hammond, M. Mahdi Hamed Hassanzada, Anna Hulačová, Jean-Baptiste Janisset, Joachim Koester, Paul Maheke, Pierre Molinier, Myriam Mihindou, Nandipha Mntambo, Antonio Obá, Jimmy Richer, Apolonia Sokol, Chloé Viton, Dominique White. Pierre Huyghe, Latifa Laâbissi, Luara Learth Moreira, PEREZ.

Exhibition Catalogue Possédé.e.s / Possessed , presented at the MO.CO., Montpellier (26 september 2020 - 30 may. 2021).