Renowned since the early 2000s for his poetic and polymorphic practice, Joël Andrianomearisoa offers a glimpse into his universe at the Ludwig Museum, where design, textiles, neons, poetry, sound and craftsmanship converge within the exhibition space.

Born in Antananarivo in 1977, Joël Andrianomearisoa lives and works between Madagascar and Paris. Working within this cultural in-between, he draws on multiple roots, engaging with different languages, creating cultural and historical confrontations, and blending diverse artisanal practices to develop an artistic approach of profound universality.

This exhibition is the first retrospective of Joël Andrianomearisoa. Bringing together works from across his career, it spans multiple periods to highlight a deeply unified and coherent practice. More than a conventional retrospective, it takes the form of an introspective exploration, revealing the artist’s sensitivity and subjectivity through a selection of works.

Unfolding across two floors of the Ludwig Museum, the exhibition opens with a first chapter immersed in darkness: walls draped in black veils, illuminated by white neon light, reveal a series of black tapestries. Upstairs, a second chapter opens into light, raffia, and woven textures. Often describing his work as sentimental, Joël Andrianomearisoa combines the sobriety, repetition, and elegance of minimalism with the emotional potential of materials — their memories, historical and symbolic weight, and affective resonance — carrying multiple desires within them.

The exhibition title, Tools of Emotions and Desires, immediately points to the central concerns of Joël Andrianomearisoa’s practice. While “tools” are traditionally functional, extending the hand to act on the world, in Joël’s work materials, colors, and gestures become tools of emotion: instruments that create spaces for encounter, dialogue, and exchange. These tools form a sensorial vocabulary, a language that invites shared experiences. In an era shaped by digital mediation, where social interactions are often filtered through screens, Joël’s work reaffirms the simple, essential act of being — and feeling — together.

In this sense, Andrianomearisoa’s sentimental matter awakens emotions, affects, desires, and inner energy in those who engage with his work. Considering sentiment as a desire for action — a capacity not only to feel and tremble but also to act and live — Joël Andrianomearisoa invites the viewer to embrace their own inner power, to experience an affective journey in which desire becomes transformation, engagement, and transcendence.

An exhibition catalog will be published soon.