The Parisian art foundation Lafayette Anticipations is preparing a survey exhibition on Martine Syms, opening in October 2024. The exhibition is titled Total, with the author's conception expanding it into a Gesamtkunstwerk which combines and conflates three distinct spaces – a museum, a store, and the artist's studio – into a unified artistic experience. This will be Syms' first survey in France.

Viewers will experience an authentic and unique approach to the concept of exhibiting art, wherein art and commerce become intertwined with each other, such that the artist's works are not only available for viewing, but can be purchased as well. The exhibition space will be divided up into several zones, reminiscent of different areas within a store. Ranging from sales areas to back offices and storage, the public will not only be in the role of a passive observer but also an active participant in an ever-evolving film set.

Martine Syms, Made in LA: A, The, Tough, Only. 2016. Image courtesy of the artist and Hammer Museum Los Angeles. Photo: Jeff McLane.

Martine Syms' practice moves across disciplines, including publishing, video, installation and performance. She explores issues of Black identity, queer theory, the significance of language and the influence of modern technologies in constructing identities. Syms is represented by Sadie Coles HQ and Sprüth Magers.

Lafayette Anticipations is an art space which was created on the initiative of the Galeries Lafayette Group as a venue for visual and performing arts. It hosts three exhibitions each year dedicated to artists whose works are daring, inspiring and innovative. For more information about the Martine Syms exhibition, refer to the Lafayette Anticipations site.

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