At the Soulages Museum, Hiroshi Sugimoto in Dialogue with the Master of Outrenoir

The Soulages Museum in Rodez opens its galleries to Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto, presenting eight series of his work in an unprecedented dialogue with French painter Pierre Soulages. Although the two artists never met, their respective explorations of emptiness, light, and time resonate profoundly here.

Born in Tokyo in 1948, Hiroshi Sugimoto is a major figure in contemporary photography, known for his images of cinemas, seascapes, and dioramas made with long exposures. The Soulages Museum, dedicated to Pierre Soulages (1919-2022), celebrates Outrenoir, the deep black he explored from 1979 to capture the reflection of light. The pairing of the two universes highlights a shared fascination with dark materials and luminous effects.

The exhibition, whose exact layout has not been detailed, should offer a visual confrontation between Soulages's large monochrome canvases and Sugimoto's photographs, notably his series on the sea or lightning strikes.

Pierre Soulages, a major 20th-century artist, donated a large collection of his works to his hometown of Rodez, contributing to the creation of this museum designed by Catalan & Associés agency, inaugurated in 2014. The venue has already hosted solo shows by contemporary artists, but this specific dialogue between an Asian photographer and the master of Outrenoir promises to be a highlight of the season.

For the public, this meeting offers a cross-reading of two bodies of work that each question perception and time in their own way. The exhibition takes place at the Soulages Museum in Rodez, with dates not yet specified, following a rich regional program. This initiative confirms the vitality of institutions outside major art centers and the relevance of intercultural dialogues in contemporary art.

---

Written by the ADM desk based on Connaissance des Arts. Read the original article for the full story.