In the exhibition, Motopoetique, motorbikes are the stars. Over 40 international artists are showing works inspired by two wheels. And the themes are freedom, speed, wildness, death and immortality. It is a heady mix, and the curators are bike fanatics themselves.
Co-curator Paul Ardenne explained, “We wanted to show experimental works, meaning works which do not just illustrate something or represent a stereotype. It’s not about just saying ‘Oh, yes, bikes are a symbol of freedom’. We wanted to push the boundaries much further in order to investigate the possibilities of creating works full of imagination.”
Usually the grease stays inside a bike’s motor, but French artist Laurent Faulon covered his bikes with industrial grease. His work Heavy Rider questions the individual’s relationship with consumer goods, because for him bikes are just consumer objects.
Faulon noted, “For me they are like objects of avarice, objects who are stuck in the grease of our desires. The idea was to make these bikes suffer with my treatment, using the double aspect of attraction and repulsion.”
Malaysian-born artist Moo Chew Wong is a big fan of bikes and drew inspiration for his series of 30 paintings from everyday street scenes. He explained, “When I see girls on a bike I am fascinated, for me it’s one of the most erotic things you can imagine. I can finish a painting in three or four hours. It’s a very unique and personal style, achieved with a palette-knife, gliding over the canvas very fast.”
