Art Events, Paris

Home
Art Events
Francis Picabia’s Radical Aftermath: A Parisian Exhibition That Redefines His Final Chapter

Francis Picabia’s Radical Aftermath: A Parisian Exhibition That Redefines His Final Chapter December 10, 2024Art Events, Paris0 Comments

FRANCIS PICABIA: Éternel recommencement

January 18 – March 8, 2025 – Hauser & Wirth Paris

26 bis rue François Ier, 75008 Paris

Francis Picabia: The Daring Reinvention of His Final Years

Hauser & Wirth Paris, in collaboration with the Comité Picabia, unveils a landmark exhibition celebrating the fiercely inventive post-war period of Francis Picabia. Curated by Beverley Calté and Arnauld Pierre, this is the first major showcase exclusively dedicated to the artist’s singularly daring final works, created between his return to Paris in 1945 and the year preceding his death in 1953. Featuring over 40 pieces, the exhibition will travel to Hauser & Wirth New York on 22nd Street, from May 1 to July 25, 2025.

Francis Picabia, Colloque (Colloquium), 1949

Oil on canvas, 97 x 130.5 x 2 cm / 38 1/4 x 51 3/8 x 3/4 in
116 x 150 x 4 cm / 45 5/8 x 59 x 1 5/8 in (framed)

Photo: Nicolas Brasseur

Often overshadowed by earlier phases of his career, Picabia’s late works signal a bold departure from his wartime depictions of nudes, ushering in a new era of abstraction. These paintings, marked by an acute sensitivity to surface texture and unorthodox inspirations, underscore the restless spirit of an artist constantly reinventing himself. They reveal Picabia’s nuanced understanding of abstraction, forging a visual language both distinct from and deeply connected to his storied oeuvre.

This exhibition positions Picabia at the heart of the vibrant post-war Parisian art scene, contextualizing his role in the rise of art informel. The accompanying bilingual catalogue by Hauser & Wirth Editions delves into the visual and intellectual impact of Picabia’s late works, with essays by Arnauld Pierre and Candace Clements, alongside a preface by Beverley Calté, President of the Comité Picabia.

PICABIA FRANCIS-hires

View of Picabia’s studio in Paris. Photograph published in Raymond Bayer

Entretiens sur l’Art abstrait, Geneva: Éditions Pierre Cailler, 1965, pp. 256-257 / Picabia’s studio in Paris as published in Raymond Bayer, Entretiens sur l’Art abstrait, Geneva: Éditions Pierre Cailler, 1965, pp. 256-57

Archives Comité Picabia, Paris

PICABIA FRANCIS -hires2
Francis Picabia et Michel Sima avec La terre est ronde et Villejuif (I), c. 1951 / Francis Picabia and Michel Sima with La terre est ronde (The Earth is Round) and Villejuif (I), c. 1951

Archives Comité Picabia, Paris
Photo credits: Michel Sima, Estate Michel Sima

Francis Picabia’s post-war chapter, often misunderstood, emerges as a daring testament to his unyielding creativity. This exhibition invites a reappraisal of a pivotal moment in his career and a deeper appreciation for the radical vitality that defined his art to the very end. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the audacious evolution of one of modernism’s most enigmatic figures.

For more information click below

www.hauserwirth.com

Tags: Arnauld Pierre, art event paris 2025, Art Paris, Beverley Calté, Candace Clements, Comité Picabia, Francis Picabia, Hauser & Wirth, Hauser & Wirth Paris, new era of abstraction, Nicolas Brasseur, Paris in 1945, Parisian Exhibition, Raymond Bayer, unorthodox inspirations art, vibrant post-war Parisian art scene, What We Adore Magazine