NOTHING TOO BEAUTIFUL FOR THE GODS

From December 15, 2024 to April 20, 2025, Fondation Opale (Lens/Crans-Montana) presents its new exhibition NOTHING TOO BEAUTIFUL FOR THE GODS, carte blanche to French curator Jean-Hubert Martin.

Delving into the richness and extravagant diversity of the artistic expression of human spirituality, NOTHING TOO BEAUTIFUL FOR THE GODS unfolds in three steps with more than 60 works. It begins with altars from cultures around the world, at the crossroads of sacred architecture and ceremonial objects, here reconstituted in a museum context. They are followed by artists, often marginalised, born in the first half of the 20th century, who refer directly to their beliefs and claim this dual affiliation with religion and modern art, or even the avant-garde. Following in their footsteps is a new generation of artists freed from their complexes regarding colonisation, who are campaigning for the recognition of their cultures, particularly indigenous ones, and the enhancement of religious aspects, whether dogmatic, shamanic or animist.

Art has always been a powerful means of expressing faith, gratitude and quest for transcendence. Through sculptures, paintings, altars, songs, dances and rituals, believers from various cultures have sought to honour their gods or spirits and connect with a higher spiritual dimension. For those who do not follow a particular deity, artistic creation becomes a search for meaning and a union with a supreme entity, inspired by nature, philosophy, meditation or other mystical sources. This exhibition reveals how these practices, far from being relics of the past, continue to nourish contemporary art.

NOTHING TOO BEAUTIFUL FOR THE GODS explores the diversity of spiritual and artistic practices, exhibiting altars and contemporary works that embody this universal quest for transcendence. Artistic creations from ancestral African, Caribbean, Oceanic and Asian traditions rub shoulders with those of contemporary artists such as Kimsooja, El Anatsui, Sandra Vasquès de la Horra and Christian Boltanski, who reinterpret these forms of devotion from a modern perspective.

In contemporary art, where the boundaries between disciplines and cultures are increasingly blurred, the exhibition deals with the place of the sacred and the sacred being in our societies. The works shown, including one created in situ by Anmatyerr artists from the Napperby community in the Central Desert of Australia, demonstrate that these traditions are not frozen in the past, but are living, dynamic elements that continue to influence and inspire today's creators.

NOTHING TOO BEAUTIFUL FOR THE GODS reflects on the link between art, spirituality and culture. By broadening the scope of what we consider “art”, visitors are invited to confront the way in which Western institutions have historically defined and limited this notion. The exhibition seeks to lift the veil on the visual expressions of Indigenous cultures, often ignored in the context of contemporary art, and to reveal their current relevance.

Curators: Jean-Hubert Martin, Tijs Visser and Georges Petitjean

Artists and authors exhibited: Art Orienté Objet Marion Laval-Jeantet & Benoît Mangin, Christian Boltanski, Cliffy Tommy, Cyprien Tokoudagba, Deidi von Schaewen, El Anatsui, Freda Brady, George Nuku, Hermann Nitsch, Hervé Youmbi, Iluwanti Ken, Imatjala Pollard, Jean-Jacques Efiaimbelo, Jimmy Njiminjuma, José Bedia Valdés, Kazuo Shiraga, Keith Stevens, Kimsooja, Leah Brady, Marina, Abramović et Ulay, Maringka Tunkin, Martin Mpetyan Hagan, Mestre Didi, Michael Pangata, Morris Wako, Narritjin Maymuru, Nyunmiti Burton, Ricardo Linares Garcia, Romuald Hazoumè, Rubem Valentim, Sandra Vásquez de la Horra, Santos Motoapohua de la Torre, Saodat Ismailova, Sylvia Ken, Tanya Brady, Taylor Cooper, Teresa Baker, Witjiti George, Yaritji Young, Younès Rahmoun