Supports / Surfaces La Collection Publique Du Luxembourg

Exhibition at the MNAHA, Luxembourg, 21 June 2024 - 23 February 2025

The last avant-garde movement in twentieth-century French art, Supports/Surfaces marked an important turning point, advocating the rejection of traditional painting supports in favour of a more conceptual exploration of the materiality of the canvas. Although the movement reached its apogee in the 1970s, its ideals of freedom, experimentation and questioning of established conventions continue to influence many artists.

This exhibition catalogue is published to mark the first presentation of the entire Supports/Surfaces collection at the MNAHA. Since its first acquisitions in 1994, the museum has built up one of the most interesting collections in Europe and beyond. It currently contains thirty-eight works from the period 1966-1985, including a number of monumental pieces. All the major artists of the movement, from Arnal and Viallat to Grand and Pagès, are represented here, with historic works of museum quality.

This book illustrates the key aspects of this innovative French artistic movement, which, while radically opposing the major currents of its time in ideological and aesthetic terms, explored new forms and gestures.