Jean-Michel Othoniel exhibits at the Wall House

Beauty saves the world. A title worthy of the most poetic aphorisms, it augurs a plunge into a luminous, soothing, sensual and meditative universe. But above all, it's an invitation. It's from French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel, who is exhibiting some twenty works at the Wall House Territorial Museum from Saturday November 22 to January 31. This exceptional event will open this Saturday, November 29, at 6.30pm.
Born in 1964, Jean-Michel Othoniel made a name for himself in the 1990s for his innovative use of blown glass, often in collaboration with the master glassmakers of Murano. His creations, which straddle the boundary between the intimate and the monumental, can be found in major public and private collectionsThese include the Centre Pompidou, New York's MoMA and the Musée du Louvre, where he created the famous Entrée du métro Palais-Royal - Kiosque des Noctambules. After a particularly busy year, which saw him exhibit his work all over the world, from Montauban to Shanghai, via Brazil, Cannes and Avignon, one of France's most internationally acclaimed artists is now coming to meet the Saint-Barthélemy public.

"This is an exhibition we've been dreaming of doing with the Collectivité since 2019 (The project had been initiated by Narcisse Dupré, current deputy director of the Tourism Committee, under Bruno Magras' term of office), explains Jean-Michel Othoniel. But then Covid came along and it took a little longer than expected. "For Saint-Barthélemy, the artist had a very precise idea of what he wanted to propose. "They're all new works that revolve around beauty, nature and light, which are very present here and reflect my memories of Saint-Barth," he explains.
The works are divided into three rooms. The first features radiant, luminous creations. I conceived this first room with the idea of beauty saving the world in mind," explains Jean-Michel Othoniel. I feel like a pioneer here, with a contemporary art exhibition. Being able to bring things here that are the equivalent of what I'm showing elsewhere, like right now in Avignon. There's the whole contemplative side, which is important in my work. And then there's the work with the craftsmen, the glass-blowers, the founders, the gold-leaf gilders, who have techniques that I've explored. Here, it's almost the works that look back at us, with the luminous impact of the color of the ink, or gold. I really invite the viewer to look at things from afar, then up close. "
The solar works in the first room are matched by lunar creations in the second. A representation of a constellation, knots that evoke a tornado... "What interests me about Saint-Barth is that it's a new public, with a melting pot of people who come from all over at this time of year," says the artist. You have to let yourself be overwhelmed by the beauty that surrounds you. It's very important. Talking about beauty and poetry today is a political act of resistance. We're so inundated with information and images, people look at things too much through the screen of their smartphone. We need to return to a simple sense of wonder about the world. I believe in the power of works of art to achieve this. They offer another vision of the world, the better to return to it. "
In the third room, the colors change, as does the inspiration. Flowers again and again, suspended glass sculptures. The idea is to transform this gallery into a large garden, inspired by the lushness that can be found in Saint-Barth," emphasizes the artist. In this gallery, the glass works will catch the daylight and, in the evening, there will be something much more theatrical. "
For museum director Charles Moreau, welcoming an artist of such renown is of particular importance. We're very grateful that Jean-Michel Othoniel was able to take time out of his schedule to make room for us," he says. It's a pleasure to work with artists of such professionalism, who are at the peak of their creativity. It's rare to entrust the museum to just one artist. For us, it's tailor-made, and we're proud of it. "Charles Moreau is also "very happy to have seen a number of local businesses support this project with such generosity, affirming our community's interest in artistic creation".

Wall House opening hours
Tuesday: 2pm-7pm
Wednesday: 9am-12pm then 2pm-7pm
Thursday: 9am-12pm then 2pm-7pm
Friday: 9am-12pm then 2pm-7pm
Saturday: 9am-12pm then 2pm-7pm