Guerlain presents 16th contemporary art exhibition, “Flowers of Evil”

Guerlain has since 2006 hosted high-profile exhibitions of works by avant-garde contemporary artists. The annual event resonates with the close collaborations Guerlain has pursued with artists since its founding in 1828. In choosing the theme “The Flowers of Evil”, this year Guerlain celebrates the poetic heritage of Charles Baudelaire and the captivating power of flowers. The exhibition runs from October 18 to November 13 at Maison Guerlain, 68 avenue des Champs-Élysées.

For this 16th edition, Guerlain, host partner of Paris+ par Art Basel, called on curator and art consultant Hervé Mikaeloff to put together the exhibition. He selected 26 artists from an array of backgrounds and different generations whose works express the fragility and beauty of the planet, humankind’s relationship with the natural world, decadence and debauchery, and love and passion. Their creations span a variety of media, from paintings and photographs to videos and installations. Ten of the works were commissioned specially for the exhibition around “The Flowers of Evil”.

“Guerlain’s choice of this theme underscores the deep affinity the Maison has always had with the natural world. Often the queen, the flower segues in this colorful labyrinth from delectable and charming to intriguing, poisonous or mysterious,” said Ann Caroline Prazan, Guerlain Director of Art, Culture and Heritage.

The exhibition is presented on three levels at Maison Guerlain, with works by: Anna Aagaard Jensen, Pauline d’Andigné, Joël Andrianomearisoa, Jean-Marie Appriou, Nobuyoshi Araki, Marcella Barceló, Alvaro Barrington, Alina Bliumis, Francesco Clemente, Johan Creten, Jean-Philippe Delhomme, Mimosa Echard, Laurent Grasso, Oda Jaune, Anselm Kiefer, Roni Landa, Robert Mapplethorpe, Thandiwe Muriu, Duy Anh Nhan Duc, Not Vital, Ghizlane Sahli, Jennifer Steinkamp, Lise Stoufflet, Mykola Tolmachev, Yan Pei-Ming and Jiang Zhi.