For his ninth exhibition at galerie Mathgoth, Jace is taking over more than 300 m2 in Paris in a temporary XXL space, just steps from Bibliothèque François Mitterrand. Cœur Sensible is not just an exhibition: it is an immersive journey, entirely free and open to everyone, through the artist’s perspective, his humor, his sensitivity, and his way of commenting on our times. This ninth collaboration confirms a rare loyalty: more than 15 years of working together.
Jace’s Gouzou As a young graffiti artist, Jace quickly realized that painting and repainting the four letters of his tag over and over risked becoming boring. He needed to find another signature, one he would never tire of. A signature he could repeat and bring to life. That is how the Gouzou was born, in 1992. An alter ego with whom anything becomes possible. No features, no age, a single skin color, and living almost naked: on paper, the Gouzou did not exactly have every advantage needed to conquer the world. And yet it has become one of the most recognizable figures in global street art, spotted in more than forty countries, sought after by institutions and brands alike, and embraced by a community of fans who collect it, photograph it, and sometimes even get it tattooed. For this exhibition, Jace has chosen to structure his work into three distinct sections, deliberately contrasting and committed: a look at our unpredictable society, a tribute to Tchernobyl forty years after the disaster, and a reflection on love as the only possible answer. A world that wavers In this first section, Jace presents works painted on hoardings, metal supports, and building stones, materials recovered directly from the urban environment. Jace observes our world with a critical and unsparing eye. The Gouzou becomes a revealer of what unsettles us, an irritant that points to the absurdities, contradictions, and excesses of our time: climate crises, one conflict after another, economic systems that crush people, leaders drunk on power… Jace does not lecture or condemn; he simply shifts our perspective. With a touch of irony, he introduces a slight imbalance that is enough to bring the invisible to light. In our uncertain, anxiety-inducing, often mad world, his gaze remains lucid and tender. It is this sharp eye that runs throughout the exhibition. Tchernobyl, 40 years later This second part of the exhibition commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Tchernobyl disaster. For many years, Jace had dreamed of going there to paint the Gouzou and bring a little lightness to a place so heavy with memory. His project is intended as a tribute to all the victims, to those who suffered and continue to endure the consequences of this tragedy. In 2019, the artist spent four days in the ghost town of Prypiat. He is one of the few artists in the world to have had that privilege. On site, he painted twenty-six original murals integrated into the buildings and the deserted urban space, in a setting where nature and animals are reclaiming the area. In Cœur Sensible, Jace presents original photographs taken on site. He printed them on wood before reworking each one by hand with paint. In deliberately muted colors, each image is a raw testimony to the disaster, which the presence of the Gouzou attempts to soften. Filmmaker Sami Chalak accompanied the artist throughout this adventure. A film documenting the experience will be shown, alongside other videos, on a large screen within the exhibition space. Love, as a necessity Faced with the world’s crises and failings, Jace states the obvious: “today we really need love.” Not as an abstract feeling, but as an act. In a world that is hardening, where tensions are multiplying and vulnerabilities are laid bare, talking about love becomes essential: we need to support one another, stand together, and cultivate solidarity. This section, the largest in the exhibition, fully reflects the importance of this theme for the artist. At first, Jace had even considered devoting an entire exhibition to it. Here he presents a series of around forty linen canvases in the same format: 60x60 cm. The Gouzou becomes more tender, more complicit. For those who enjoy surprises, the exhibition includes a few never-before-seen pieces, including a limited-edition sculpture, a rare chance to discover the Gouzou in three dimensions.
Source: paris.fr — photo: Courtesy galerie Mathgoth (Paris)