Zoumboulakis Galleries open the autumn season with the presentation of the exhibition “The Wrestlers” by Louis Barthélemy. The exhibition will be presented first in Athens and later this year at the Musée Théodore Monod d’art africain in Dakar, Senegal.French designer and multidisciplinary artist Louis Barthélemy found himself in Dakar in 2020
just before the closing of the borders due to the pandemic restrictions. There, he became witness to the ancient ritual of fighting which has evolved to a sort of national sport. Seated on the sand and attending the games, Louis was enchanted by the wrestlers and their movements, accompanied by a colorful choir of native women. He remained and followed the training of one of the teams which he met in person. During his stay he browsed the local markets and acquired colorful bazins, waxed cotton brocades with the desire to rework them in Cairo together with the tent makers who work with Khayamiya tapestries. He wanted to create scenes of fighting on the fabric narrating thus the Dakar story. The fabrics and the threads became the unique means to showcase the bodies in motion during the fight.
Having a profound knowledge of the fabrics used by tent makers in Egypt, inspired by different fabrics of various historical eras exhibited in African and Egyptian art Museums and motivated by the experience of this old Senegalian sport, Barthélemy created a fictional
illustrated choreography which renders not solely the magic of the bodies but also the magic of the fabric. Abstract and full of colour, bodies interwine creating tapestries of exceptional beauty. These works become the means for the artist to point out the coexistence of diverse
civilizations, but also give way to promote the important work of specialized artisans who use and revitalize traditional techniques.
Brief CV:
Louis Barthélemy is a multidisciplinary artist and designer who lives and works between Marrakesh, Cairo and Paris. A crucial part of his practice is the preservation and the revival of traditional crafts threatened by globalization. He started his studies with a Bachelor in Central Saint Martins while at the same time he worked for Dior as scarf designer. He graduated in 2012. He continued working for
Salvatore Ferragamo and Gucci, however he gradually re-orientated his interest towards different directions which led him to Marrakesh and then to Cairo and to his collaboration with native artisans.
