DO YOU BELIEVE IN ANGELS?

After Marseille, we are to visit a very strange city. First of all you should know that our « Monumenta » takes place each year in the Grand Palais. The Minister of culture invites an internationally renowned artist to take over the 13,500 square metres or 145,312.79 square feet with an installation. Whichever measurement you look at,  it is huge. I have seen all the installations, Anselm Kieffer in 2007, Richard Serra in 2008, Christian Boltanski in 2010, Anish Kapoor in 2011, Daniel Buren in 2012 (ART AND EXCENTRIC LIGHT)  and now Ilya and Emilia Kabakov take over the Nave. Internationally renowned? I certainly didn’t know either l of them. 

Ilya Kabakov, ( 1943-) we are told, is an international figure on the Art scene. Russian of course and started working as a full time artist in the 60’s. Installations, sculptures and paintings. His wife, Emilia graduated from the Faculty of Music, studied Spanish literature at the Moscow university. Since 1989, they live and work in New York. My first contact with these artists was in « Arts Magazine ».

This Strange City is the creation of a utopian and mysterious place both monumental and intimate at the same time. It is infused with the artist’s Soviet origins and takes us on a journey of dream and reality. Questioning the

« the great visions of progress, science and human upliftment that could have led to the brink of disaster" (Ilya Kabakov) 

It’s spectacular. Upon entering the space we come face to face with THE DOME. This corresponds to the idea of a total work of art envisaged by Richard Wagner. Sad music whistles out at us announcing another world to come……the entrance is grand - a huge gate and nothing seemingly behind.

THE DOME

THE FIRST GATE

First of all we go into THE EMPTY MUSEUM. The paintings on the walls have been replaced by oval pools of light. Bach’s Passacaglia fills the room with music. Spots of light and shadows guide us to the exit and then we have to look for the next « suburb ». 


 

FINDING THE EXIT

THE EMPTY MUSEUM

The city walls are  white. No indications of where to go although there are « guides » to tell us where the next door is. 


 

Finding the entrance was not always easy

MANAS.  A city which once existed to the North of Tibet. On two levels: the first, terrestrial that of everyday life and the second, celestial, that of the world above. The city is surrounded by 8 mountains concealing hidden devices that enable us to strengthen our communication with the other worlds.

It was here I started following a group of 6-8 year olds. Taking notes and listening. They seemed to understand every word of this fantasy world. Maybe better than I did. (I was the one taking notes....the children's eyes were glued to their surroundings).

THE CENTRE OF COSMIC ENERGY is our next stop. Cosmic energy flows toward the earth at a 60° angle. Rather like the Tower of Babel or Tatlin’s tower? Here we try to connect both worlds. 





 

But it as HOW TO MEET AND ANGEL which caught my attention. Angels are omnipresent in Kabakov’s work. I learnt later when I had to ask my way, that he had been a children’s cartoonist and book designer, which explained a lot. 



 
 

 
The Angel is a sort of alter ego who pushes toward charity and moral improvement of self. 


The fallen angel who predicts the loss of spirituality and the domination of materialism or the angel who reminds us that mental illnesses can bring us closer to absolute knowledge and spiritual fulfillment. I didn’t quite understand this, but apparently the children did. I should have taken one as a guide. The angel is more than an religious  figure but an allegory for the aspiration of happiness and wisdom. When the teacher asked what it meant to them. Hands shot up and said « good and bad »….There is even a « kit » on how to become an Angel which is hilarious and yet leaves you thinking about yourself. 

HOW TO MAKE AN ANGEL

Then there were the GATES - the rift between the interior and the exterior…..
Finally THE WHITE CHAPEL and the DARK CHAPEL. The first, as in many ancient churches, there are no  frescoes decorating the walls, but paintings appear like scattered pieces retracing the fragments of life. Like memories scattered in space around us. There is a huge black stain above the entrance which represent the place destined for the Last Judgement and tragic representation of Hell in the Christian tradition. The children had no problems describing this. 

THE DARK CHAPEL

THE LAST JUDGEMENT

The DARK CHAPEL looks more like an artist’s workshop than a church. The pictures are autobiographical and also many Soviet images. A little baroque to say the least.

Music has followed us from one world to another. I was in a daze. 

up there

could I climb

to the top?

So deep in thought that after a cup of coffee I left my coat behind. One of the young guides said to me « it’s raining outside. Won’t you get wet? » I rushed back and found it.