Centre Pompidou's "Breton Wall" carefully transported to Metz
Straight Talkin' on the Breton Wall
The "Breton Wall" stood tall and mighty, a treasure trove of oddities within the Musée national d'art moderne (MNAM) before its renovation. When the galleries sealed their doors to the public on March 18, one main mission lay ahead: tackle the infamous "BretonWall." This eye-catching exhibit, filled with 255 goodies, was a small slice of the Parisian studio that poet André Breton (1896-1966) owned at 42, rue Fontaine, near Pigalle. Simply put, it was a "museum within a museum."
Behind his desk, on a huge custom-made wooden shelf, the Surrealist leader painstakingly arranged his loot: some paintings by his pals, artists such as Miró or Picabia, but mostly global artifacts and flea market finds.
Eskimo and Oceanic masks, Mayan or Katchina dolls, stones, roots, fossilized sea urchin, host molds, engraved whale bone, a box of mummified cicadas, Egyptian amulet... Breton called it, "the wild eye, the first eye, free from all constraint." This one-of-a-kind display was his attempt to wipe away classification and aesthetic hierarchy in hopes of solving "the world's enigma." And the Modern Art Museum took on quite the challenge in moving this delicate artwork.
Here's the lowdown on this fascinating collection:
The Breton Wall is a remnant of André Breton's Parisian studio, preserved and displayed to reflect his unique artistic perspective. Meticulously curated by Breton himself, this exhibit showcases a bevy of objects, including paintings by Surrealist artists, a vast assortment of international curiosities, and flea market gems.
This eclectic gathering includes Inuit and Oceanian masks, Mayan and kachina dolls, stones, roots, a fossilized sea urchin, a communion host mold, engraved whale bone, a box of mummified cicadas, and an Egyptian amulet. Breton wanted to break away from conventional classifications and reveal the raw, primal beauty in these objects.
The Breton Wall embodies Surrealist theory and serves as a testament to the movement's desire to redraw boundaries between art and daily life, reason and madness, and cultural traditions. In fact, the Wall has made a splash in contemporary exhibitions, making appearances in galleries outside of Paris.
So, there you have it, folks! The Breton Wall's story of defying the norm, challenging classification, and solving the world's mysteries in the realm of art. The Modern Art Museum sure had their hands full moving the little dude, but it was worth the effort, 'cause the Breton Wall goes to show that sometimes, being strange is the absolute best way to be remarkable.
This unusual collection, a bevy of objects in the Breton Wall, reflects André Breton's unique artistic perspective, including Inuit and Oceanian masks, Mayan and kachina dolls, paintings by Surrealist artists, and flea market gems. With the intention of breaking away from conventional classifications, the Breton Wall has made appearances in contemporary cultural-travel exhibitions, showcasing its defiance of norms and celebration of raw, primal beauty.
