Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, the Parisian temple of elegance and innovation, celebrates its 10th artistic collaboration by welcoming Ernesto Neto. The exhibition "Le La Serpent," running from January 11 to February 23, 2025, immerses visitors in a sensory experience. The artist revisits the myth of Eve and Adam from an organic and spiritual perspective.
A new vision
With his unique sensibility, Ernesto Neto gives the Serpent a voice. He adorns it in white and rehabilitates it as a positive, even maternal, figure. He departs from classical interpretations of original sin and presents it as a conduit of life and culture. This approach takes shape through monumental and multisensory installations that he designs in his studio in Rio de Janeiro.
A sensory immersion
At the heart of the exhibition, the installation "Before Time Appears" offers an intimate exploration. Visitors must remove their shoes to fully experience the textures and scents. A tree trunk filled with dried leaves and white paper blends nature and human creation. Counterweights diffuse aromas of spices, creating a sensory connection with the artwork. According to Neto, the scent of turmeric and cumin awakens memory and strengthens body awareness.
The journey continues with "Between light and dark, the collective is the body of the path." This serpent-like sculpture runs alongside the shop windows on Rue de Sèvres. Each glance invites you to enter the artist's world.
A ballet under the glass roof
Beneath the central dome, Neto orchestrates a suspended ballet. Eve, Adam, and the Serpent unfold in perfect harmony. Cotton forms filled with dried leaves come to life. They rest on bamboo structures that illustrate the fragility and strength of creation.
"It's all about balance," explains the artist. His sculptures seem to dance under the influence of gravity. Visitors participate by drawing on the walls with chalk and creating melodies with the colored bottle caps suspended from the installations.
A universal message
With "Le La Serpent" (The Serpent), Ernesto Neto explores our relationship to nature, femininity, and human culture. The title, combining the articles "le" (the) and "la" (the), symbolizes this duality of genders and their harmony. "The serpent is our DNA, our link between mind and body," explains the artist. He draws inspiration from mythologies around the world, where this animal is often sacred.
This exhibition demonstrates that Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche remains a place where art engages with the public. Ernesto Neto transforms the space into a sensory odyssey that illustrates the interconnectedness of all living things.
The exhibition is enhanced by a catalogue and opportunities to meet the artist. These events offer visitors a deeper immersion into this dreamlike world. This artistic adventure invites us to see the world with fresh eyes, imbued with poetry and sensitivity.
