"Dubuffet and the Magicians": an exhibition to immerse yourself in outsider art in the Var

Turning the page. At the end of the Second World War, the art world, like the rest of society, felt the need to shake things up. Change so as not to repeat the same mistakes. Jean Dubuffet thus found himself in Paris with other artists and intellectuals wanting to reinvent everything after the chaos of war. This is where Art Brut takes root. The Musée du Niel in Giens is hosting some fifty works from this movement for its new exhibition, "Dubuffet and the Magicians."

"Around Dubuffet, curator Antoine Villeneuve brought together around twenty artists from the Art Brut movement, as well as from the Cobra movement. All these artists focused on what no one was interested in: the rejects and invisible elements of society, whether objects or humans," explains Florence Denis, director of the Musée du Niel. Following in his footsteps, we offer you a selection of four artists to (re)discover.

The period of Dubuffet's Materiologies

Where honor is due. The exhibition begins with five works by Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985), corresponding to as many different periods of the master of art brut. With a painting, not necessarily the artist's best known, which serves as the central element of the exhibition. "It is a work acquired last year by the museum and entitled Regard limpide. It is significant in many ways. It is a lesser-known period of Dubuffet: the Matériologies cycle," introduces Florence Denis, before describing the painting. "Here, the human is at the heart of the reflection. The materials are salvaged leaves, cut out and assembled. We see this character expressed like a child, with his two round eyes. We are here in search of a renewal of expression to rediscover a form of innocence." Of course, the public will also be able to delve into his more well-known works, notably the famous Hourloupe series.

Baya and her dreamlike universe

In its desire to showcase the variety of the post-war artistic revival, the exhibition also delves into the work of Algerian artist Baya (1931-1998). "She has a unique background. She comes from a poor background, far from culture. But since childhood, she has constantly worked on a dreamlike world that allowed her to escape the harshness of life. Throughout her work, we find women in majesty, in an idyllic world, connected to nature, music..." , explains Florence Denis. An encounter changed Baya's life. In 1947, while he was in Algiers, Aimé Maeght discovered her work. "He decided to exhibit her in Paris when she was only 16. She, who had never left her country, found herself catapulted and aroused the admiration of the art world."

Aloïse, creative madness

Another woman with an atypical career path: the Swiss woman Aloïse (1886-1964). Very quickly institutionalized, she found an outlet in painting and drawing. She produced on paper, collecting pencil scraps, before her production fell into oblivion. Until the day when a nurse lingered over her work and alerted the art world. "The woman is very present, in majesty, in an idealized world. Here again, the gaze is interesting. Here, the eyes have no pupils. The artist thus does not reveal herself completely," analyzes Florence Denis. Part of Aloïse's work is reminiscent of Klimt, with forms that blend into the decor until they become one.

Michaux, beyond words

Known as a writer and thinker, Henri Michaux also turned to painting and art brut. An outlet for him. "Michaux felt unhappy in his family, in society. Out of step, physically weak. He found life in painting, especially in ink. It's fluid and light, for him, it's life. He was very avant-garde. Passionate about calligraphy and ideograms, he transformed this into imaginary forms. From a distance, it's abstract, but the more you delve into it, the more you see things," explains the museum director. A corridor has also been set up to present a series that the artist created under mescaline (a psychoactive substance). This is to "try to go beyond reason, to draw things from elsewhere." This results in small, delicate, fragile formats, created instinctively. Art brut.

Learn more

Dubuffet and the Magicians exhibition at the Musée du Niel in Giens. Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., every day except Tuesday. Admission: €12. Information: www.museeduniel.com