Derek Jarman, Dead Souls Whisper (1986-1993)

About

This exhibition highlights his practice of painting and assemblages through some fifty works. It focuses on the latter part of his life, from the time he was diagnosed with HIV. This period coincides with the birth of his legendary garden around Prospect Cottage in Dungeness, Kent, the creation of which was for him a therapy and a metaphor for his own survival. 

Language, in its most basic rage, is central to the exhibition. It expresses itself and marks us through the series of Queer paintings (1992), truly "installed" in the Crédac space. The words are contained in the paintings "Spread the Plague", "Tragedy", "Aids Blood", "Virus", whose wavelength ruins the surface. This series is linked to the process, as are the Super 8 films shown opposite. The exhibition reveals Jarman's interest in alchemy, assemblage, and the collection of objects gleaned from Dungeness Beach. 

This exhibition is accompanied by a screening of his films at the Ivry - Le Luxy cinema and a publication co-published with the "Pleased to meet you" collection.

From October to December, a series of meetings also punctuates the exhibition, with Theodora Domenech (doctor of philosophy), Marco Martella (writer, gardener, and member of the European Institute of Gardens and Landscapes), Elisabeth Lebovici (doctor of aesthetics and art critic), Benoît Piéron (artist) and Didier Roth-Bettoni (journalist, author, historian of LGBTQI+ cinema). 

Production :
Centre d’art contemporain d’Ivry — le Crédac
Coproduction :
Festival d’Automne à Paris 
In collaboration with: Keith Collins Will Trust, Amanda Wilkinson Gallery (London), Basilisk Communications (London) and LUMA Foundation (Zurich), with the support of La Fab (Paris).