Alicja Kwade’s installation ‘brings the stars down’ onto Place Vendôme

In recent weeks, the French capital has been elevated culturally by the arrival of Paris+ par Art  Basel. The newest iteration of the cutting-edge art fair brought together 156 leading French and international galleries within Grand Palais Éphémère, a temporary location while the Grand Palais undergoes renovations. 

Beneath clear autumnal skies, I met the duo in front of The Ritz on the historic Place Vendôme where Sans described how, ‘This spectacular installation sets a dialogue between new structures combining natural stone globes and three concrete stairs with a set of 17 spheres, a recurring motif for the artist.’ Kwade added that ‘the staircases have a clear symbolic meaning. It’s about human nature - continually trying to elevate yourself, but then inevitably going down again.’ Her interest in power reflects the nearby column depicting Napoleon. ‘He was reaching for the stars and trying to elevate himself above everybody else. But I’m trying to bring the stars down onto Place Vendôme.’

Before we met, I knew Alicja’s work from her Roof Garden Commission at The Metropolitan Museum in New York as well as the permanent collections of Paris’ Centre Pompidou and the Boros Collection in Berlin where she lives and works. The studio complex that she shares with artists like Olafur Eliasson is on a river in the East of Berlin. ‘To be honest, my favourite place on the planet is being alone in my studio at night’ says Kwade. ‘It is where I feel very happy and balanced.’ 

Although Kwade prefers to work alone, there is a natural sense of community in her work.  As we spoke, we watched children play on her sculptures. As Sans describes, ‘her work is very engaging - those spheres are like magnets. From old to young - everyone wants to touch because it gives you strength.’ There is a natural friendship between artist and curator that felt almost balletic as we spoke. Sans describes how, ‘when I work with an artist, it is never once. We collaborate recurrently. It is never flirting, but the chance to push our limits together long-term and learn something new.’ They were united by their devotion to the project, but ultimately, as captured by Kwade, ‘You need people you admire and respect, that you trust and enjoy having around.’Kwade speaks eloquently about her devotion to public art and the joy it gives her to observe the sense of community and togetherness that her sculpture created. She confides, ‘I really believe in public art, especially nowadays, as a source of identification. The human scale of Au cours des mondes reflects the approach of Sans who described how he ‘never understood the works that I have to see from afar and not touch” and instead believes in sharing the experience of art as much as possible. Kwade continued, “For me, my work is about human nature - why we are what we are and behave as we behave and believe what we believe. How we create this society and this world as we think it is. This piece is about us spinning around on a globe, on a stone, and still ironically trying to figure out why we do that. We’re spinning around ourselves.’ 

Before we parted ways, we discussed how Paris+ par Art Basel has inspired many galleries, museums and curators to get involved. Kwade describes how, ‘culture is deeply embedded in Parisian society, which is beautiful. It is everywhere.’ She has perceived a newfound sense of collaboration. For example, the unmissable ‘Monet - Mitchell’ exhibition at Fondation Louis Vuitton, which creates a dialogue between the two celebrated artists, and the California Light and Space and Beyond exhibition at the modernist home of Benjamin Paulin and Alice Lemoine for which curator Lawrence Van Hagen collaborated with designers Paulin, Paulin, Paulin. Also, As Kwade continues, ‘For the city, it is the best possible outcome. You could see the opening of the fair was very busy. It was insane. It is reviving for  Paris to bring people from all over the world. The city is excited. You can feel it.’  

Sans concluded by reflecting on the project as ‘creating a point of connection and community’ and that rings true to the overall effect of Paris in its renewed contemporary art moment. 

Au cours des mondes by Alicja Kwade, curated by Jérôme Sans will be on view at the Place Vendôme until 13 November, as part of the Sites program of Paris+ by Art Basel. parisplus.artbasel.com