A Surreal Sculptor is Honored at the Paris Modern Art Museum

From October 10 until February 2015, a contemporary artist named David Altmejd will be honored at the MAM Paris. The MAM (Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris) is a Parisian museum dedicated solely to modern art. Unlike the state-run Centre Pompidou — which is the most well-known modern art museum in Paris — the MAM is owned and run by the City of Paris.

Founded in 1961, the museum used to occupy the space where the Palais de Tokyo museum can now be found. Currently, the MAM is located near the Trocadero Square in the 16th arrondissement. This means guests staying at one of the Sister Hotels Champs-Elysées can easily access the MAM during their stay in the City of Light.

Altmejd is an artist who has been compared to filmmakers David Cronenberg and David Lynch. These comparisons suggest that Altmejd's work has a certain cinematic quality, and the artist also draws inspiration from literature and myths.

Born in Montreal in 1974, Altmejd's work in sculpture has made him famous around the world. Having earned an MFA at Columbia University in 2001, the sculptor currently lives in New York City. It was in 2003 that Altmejd gained his first major recognition, being selected for the 8th International Istanbul Biennial. Then, in 2007, he represented Canada at the 52nd edition of the Venice Biennale.

By combining various found objects, Altmejd draws out the symbolism of his works, creating complex systems of surrealism. For example, he often uses the heads of werewolves, adopting them as a sort of leitmotif for his work.

At the MAM, the Altmejd exhibition has been curated by François Michaud and Robert Vifian in a way that reveals the maze-like nature of his installations. Invoking the mythical, the ethereal and sometimes the grotesque, the sculptors one-of-a-kind vision will not fail to leave an impression on those who visit this exhibition.