ELDORAMA
Tripostal, lille3000
Curated by Jérôme Sans, Jean-Max Colard, with the collaboration of Isabelle Bernini
TRIPOSTAL, Lille, lille3000
27.03—01.09.2019
Martine Aballéa, Adel Abdessemed, Babi Badalov, Romain Bernini, Stefan Brüggemann, Cao Fei, Chen Zhen, Till Gerhard, Rodney Graham, Alfredo Jaar, Maria Kourkouta, Yayoi Kusama, Liu Xiaodong, Ibrahim Mahama, Teresa Margolles, Jonathan Monk, Qiu Zhijie, Superflex, Thukral & Tagra, Hank Willis Thomas, Marnie Weber, Wang Yuyang...
ELDORAMA stages the universal adventure of all Eldorados, which have the power to uproot individuals and entire peoples through a myriad of contemporary works borrowed from the four corners of the globe. It divides it into three chapters, one for each of the building’s floors: 1. Dream Worlds, 2. The Rush, 3. New Eldorados. Interspersed by works that spark movement, while others offer themselves as ideal stations before moving on to other horizons, the journey develops into a narrative that is dynamic and epic, but also wild and violent, brought to life by the artists’ fascinated or critical viewpoints on the many Eldorados promised by our contemporary world.
Embodying the hope of a better life and a promise of wealth and fulfilment, Eldorado is an active dream driving the migrations and movements of both entire peoples and isolated individuals. First, in antiquity, there were the ancient myths of the lost cities – Atlantis swallowed up with all its riches. In the sixteenth century, came the conquest of the Eldorados of Mexico and Peru, the savage plundering of Aztec or Incan treasures. Thereafter, Eldorado became a constantly renewed myth, leading to the lands of yellow gold, but also gold that came in black (oil) and green (ecology), or even to artificial paradises or tax havens. That is where Eldorado begins: with the attraction of dreamed-of, invented worlds, of blissful utopias created by desire.
Then comes the time of departure. Exile, exodus, flight. Entire populations set forth in a headlong rush to reach a fantasised Eldorado. Any means of getting there will do. People travel by sea, by road and today by air and even into space, this Eldorado of the future. There were gold rushes in the nineteenth century in the American West, but also in Australia, South Africa around Johannesburg, or in the far north of Alaska. These rushes form a violent, brutal history, made up of conquests, massacres and disappointments. Many have gone digging in the belly of the Earth. But not everyone finds the much-coveted treasure they seek and so must return distraught and empty-handed. Only to leave again, lured by new Eldorados.
Eldorado is always somewhere else. Indeed, the great narrative of Eldorado also endures the test of disillusionment: when the dream country becomes a real land, the adventurer settles into a new life made of habits and routines, so that boredom soon sets in. He begins to dream, once again, of another Eldorado. Our contemporary world is full of such places and constantly entices us with the mirages of new and often contradictory paradises: distant islands or inner Zen, fiscal exile or ecological degrowth... In this last chapter, we thus move between works that are by turns critical and dreamy, oscillating between disappointment and new hope.
Adel Abdessemed, Hope, 2011-2012. Bateau en bois, résine, 205 x 579,1 x 243,8 cm. Courtesy de l’artiste. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Babi Badalov, The Word Game, The World Game, 2017-2019. Peintures sur tissu. Courtesy Galerie Jérôme Poggi, Paris. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Chen Zhen, Precipitous Parturition, 1999. Chambres à air, éléments de bicyclettes, voitures miniatures, métal, silicone, peinture. 2600 x 150 cm. Courtesy of K11 Collection. & Abdelkader Benchamma, La Théorie des tempêtes, 2019. Encre sur mur, acrylique sur toile, Courtesy Galerie Templon. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Chen Zhen, Precipitous Parturition, 1999. Chambres à air, éléments de bicyclettes, voitures miniatures, métal, silicone, peinture. 2600 x 150 cm. Courtesy of K11 Collection. & Abdelkader Benchamma, La Théorie des tempêtes, 2019. Encre sur mur, acrylique sur toile, Courtesy Galerie Templon. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Duane Hanson, Flea Market Lady, 1990-1994. Résine polychromée à l’huile, fibre de verre, technique mixte et accessoires. Collection privée. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Gilles Barbier, Pornocity, 2000, technique mixte, 220 x 145 x 135 cm. Collection privée, Paris. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Hank Willis Thomas, Looking for America, 2019. Bronze. Courtesy de l’artiste et de la galerie Jack Shainman. Production pour l’exposition ; One Million second chances (The invisible men), 2018, screenprint on retroreflective vinyl, mounted on dibond, 91,44 x 137,16. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Ibrahim Mahama, Non-Orientable Nkansa II, 2017. Boites de cordonniers, matériaux divers, courtesy de l’artiste & APALAZZOGALLERY. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Liu Xiaodong, K.O., 2015, film, documentary by Yang Bo. Courtesy Faurschou Foundation. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Marnie Weber, Happy Go Lucky, The Darkest Journey, 2010. Mannequins, résine, mousse, peinture acrylique, costumes en tissue, barques en bois, fibre de verre, fleurs de soie, varech de toile peinte, tissu de voile peinte, on. Courtesy de l’artiste et de Simon Lee Gallery, Londres, Hong Kong. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Martine Aballéa. Eldorado Lounge, 2019. Matériaux divers, courtesy de l’artiste, production pour l’exposition.
Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Qiu Zhijie, One has to wander through all the outer worlds to reach innemorst shrine at the end, 2015. Installation, encre sur papier, verre soufflé, dimensions variables. Courtesy de l’artiste et UCCA, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Pékin. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Mirror Room — Fireflies on the water, 2002. Bois, metal, miroirs, plastiques, acrylique, système LED et eau, 287 x 415 x 4215 cm, FNAC N°01-253, Centre National des Arts Plastiques. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Stefan Brüggemann, Headlines & Last Lines in the movies (Gold), 2019. Miroirs et spray, production pour l’exposition. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Teresa Margolles, Pista de Baile, 2016, 16 photographies, 125 x 185 cm, Courtesy de la Galerie Mor Charpentier, Paris. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Wang Yuyang, The Moon Landing Program, 2007-2019, installation, video, caissons vitrés, combinaisons spatiales, moniteur de fréquence cardiaque, appareil photo, ordinateur, charbon cendre et matériaux divers. Courtesy de l’artiste. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Adel Abdessemed, Hope, 2011-2012. Bateau en bois, résine, 205 x 579,1 x 243,8 cm. Courtesy de l’artiste. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Babi Badalov, The Word Game, The World Game, 2017-2019. Peintures sur tissu. Courtesy Galerie Jérôme Poggi, Paris. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Chen Zhen, Precipitous Parturition, 1999. Chambres à air, éléments de bicyclettes, voitures miniatures, métal, silicone, peinture. 2600 x 150 cm. Courtesy of K11 Collection. & Abdelkader Benchamma, La Théorie des tempêtes, 2019. Encre sur mur, acrylique sur toile, Courtesy Galerie Templon. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Chen Zhen, Precipitous Parturition, 1999. Chambres à air, éléments de bicyclettes, voitures miniatures, métal, silicone, peinture. 2600 x 150 cm. Courtesy of K11 Collection. & Abdelkader Benchamma, La Théorie des tempêtes, 2019. Encre sur mur, acrylique sur toile, Courtesy Galerie Templon. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Duane Hanson, Flea Market Lady, 1990-1994. Résine polychromée à l’huile, fibre de verre, technique mixte et accessoires. Collection privée. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Gilles Barbier, Pornocity, 2000, technique mixte, 220 x 145 x 135 cm. Collection privée, Paris. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Hank Willis Thomas, Looking for America, 2019. Bronze. Courtesy de l’artiste et de la galerie Jack Shainman. Production pour l’exposition ; One Million second chances (The invisible men), 2018, screenprint on retroreflective vinyl, mounted on dibond, 91,44 x 137,16. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Ibrahim Mahama, Non-Orientable Nkansa II, 2017. Boites de cordonniers, matériaux divers, courtesy de l’artiste & APALAZZOGALLERY. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Liu Xiaodong, K.O., 2015, film, documentary by Yang Bo. Courtesy Faurschou Foundation. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Marnie Weber, Happy Go Lucky, The Darkest Journey, 2010. Mannequins, résine, mousse, peinture acrylique, costumes en tissue, barques en bois, fibre de verre, fleurs de soie, varech de toile peinte, tissu de voile peinte, on. Courtesy de l’artiste et de Simon Lee Gallery, Londres, Hong Kong. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Martine Aballéa. Eldorado Lounge, 2019. Matériaux divers, courtesy de l’artiste, production pour l’exposition.
Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Qiu Zhijie, One has to wander through all the outer worlds to reach innemorst shrine at the end, 2015. Installation, encre sur papier, verre soufflé, dimensions variables. Courtesy de l’artiste et UCCA, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Pékin. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Mirror Room — Fireflies on the water, 2002. Bois, metal, miroirs, plastiques, acrylique, système LED et eau, 287 x 415 x 4215 cm, FNAC N°01-253, Centre National des Arts Plastiques. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Stefan Brüggemann, Headlines & Last Lines in the movies (Gold), 2019. Miroirs et spray, production pour l’exposition. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Teresa Margolles, Pista de Baile, 2016, 16 photographies, 125 x 185 cm, Courtesy de la Galerie Mor Charpentier, Paris. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.
Wang Yuyang, The Moon Landing Program, 2007-2019, installation, video, caissons vitrés, combinaisons spatiales, moniteur de fréquence cardiaque, appareil photo, ordinateur, charbon cendre et matériaux divers. Courtesy de l’artiste. Eldorama, Tripostal, Eldorado, lille3000, Lille, France, 2019 © photo: Florian Kleinefenn.