Narrative Art

A LITTLE KNOWN MOVEMENT TO BE DISCOVERED

Discover a little known movement of the 1970’s which brought together conceptual practices combining photography and texts. 

As part of the exhibition, Considering the world for its 30th anniversary, the Museum proposes a focus on “Narrative Art”. During the 1970’s the expression “Narrative Art” was coined for new artistic practices which symbolized a return to narration, combining photography and texts.

This international movement appeared on the fringes of conceptual art, representing a sensibility to the epoch. Identity, memories, autobiographies and fiction were the dominant themes. Narrative art calls on the imagination of the spectator-reader to reconstitute the notion of story-telling relayed both by images and language. 

This chronological focus reflects the wealth of the Museum’s collections, the result of two major donations by Vicky Rémy and by François and Ninon Robelin during the 1990’s. Each room takes its title from a founding exhibition during the 1970’s: Information, Story, Individual mythologies and Pictures.

Artists presented

Vito Acconci, David Askevold, Michael Baldwin, John Baldessari, Bill Beckley, Mel Bochner, Christian Boltanski, Victor Burgin, James Collins, Hans-peter Feldmann, Jochen Gerz, Gilbert & George, Peter Hutchinson, Barbara Kruger, Jean Le Gac, Urs Lüthi, Annette Messager, Tania Mouraud, Dennis Oppenheim, Gina Pane, Richard Prince, Cindy Shermann, Ian Wallace, Roger Welch