Colette Lumière: Stories from My Life

Monopol Gallery is presenting the exhibition Stories from My Life by Colette Lumière—one of the most fascinating and mysterious figures in contemporary art. This show marks the artist’s first-ever presentation in Warsaw.

Colette is a legend of the 70s and 80s, influencing not only other artists (such as Cindy Sherman, Keith Haring, and Jeff Koons), but also fashion and pop culture—from Madonna to Lady Gaga. Her works are included in the collections of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, MOCA in Los Angeles, and the Museum Ludwig in Cologne.

The American-Tunisian artist made her debut in the early 1970s with unauthorised street art interventions in New York. She’s best known for her site-specific installations combined with performance art, which she began creating in New York galleries and shop windows. At that time, Colette developed her signature visual language, intentionally drawing on the extravagance of the Baroque and the excess of Rococo, blending it with elements of camp and punk, along with stereotypically girlish and feminine attributes. She wielded this aesthetic with intent, all while being an active participant in New York’s avant-garde art scene. As her work evolved, Colette moved from the public to the private sphere. She took on subsequent personas of her own creations, not separating life from art. She used eroticism and femininity to comment on the way women were perceived and their role in society.