In the 20th Century "love", according to the poet Arthur Rimbaud, had to be reinvented. In our current world of crisis and conflicts, with increased individualism and intense consumption, love in the 21st Century is seriously threatened and regularly challenged, and yet, paradoxically, it has never been so linked to individual identity and happiness.
What We Call Love explores how the notion of love has evolved within the 20th and 21st centuries. How have seismic sociological changes concerning sexuality, marriage and intimacy, alongside developments in gender issues, affected the way we conceive of love? How does visual art, from Surrealism to the present day, deal with love and what can these artistic representations tell us about what love means in our current culture?
Drawing on contemporary sociology, neuroscience and of course art, What We Call Love sheds some light on these questions. While we cannot give a final definition of "what love is" we can examine how artists have represented it, with a critical humorous insight. Presented in three chapters, the exhibition draws on Surrealism's idea of love as 'l'amour fou' (crazy love), new visions of love which emerged after the 60s and the often problematic concerns of contemporary love.
Focusing mainly on the now, this important exhibition will present a succinct selection of carefully chosen Surrealist works, alongside key conceptual and contemporary pieces, integrating new commissions and other works in the forms of cinema and performance. Texts and interviews from three leaders in their respective fields; Georges Sebbag on Surrealism, Eva lllouz on sociology and Semir Zeki on neuroscience will contribute to this reflection.
Curated by Christine Macel, Chief Curator at Centre Pompidou, with Rachael Thomas, Head of Exhibitions at IMMA, What We Call Love will include works from Marina Abramovic, Louise Bourgeois, Cecily Brown, Miriam Cahn,Marcel Duchamp, Elmgreen & Dragset, Alberto Giacometti, Nan Goldin, Jim Hodges, Rebecca Horn, Annette Messager, Meret Oppenheim, Pablo Picasso, Jeremy Shaw, Wolfgang Tillmans, Andy Warhol, and others.
IMMA will also be commissioning new works by Irish artists for this exhibition; Seamus Nolan, Garrett Phelan and Lucy Andrews.
This exhibition includes a number of commissioned works supported by the New Art at IMMA partnership with law firm Matheson, which will showcase best emerging talent in contemporary art.