French window at Mori Art Museum (Tokyo)

FRENCH WINDOW: Looking at contemporary art through the Marcel Duchamp prize
Mori Art Museum
18 March – 3 July, 2011
For ten years, an elite association of contemporary art collectors known as ADIAF has hosted what has become one of France’s most prestigious art awards, the Marcel Duchamp Prize. To celebrate the award’s first decade, this exhibition presents the work of 28 artists, including all of the winners of the Grand Prix, selected finalists and also Duchamp himself.

The exhibition’s title refers to Duchamp’s well known work Fresh Widow, which depicts a French window, and a similar theme is continued through the show’s five sections: “Duchamp’s Window,” “The View from the Window,” “The Window of Time and Space,” “The Window of the Inner World” and “Inside the Window.” Together, they provide a comprehensive view of the contemporary French art scene. The exhibition begins with important works by Duchamp himself, and then presents the esprit of contemporary French art through a selection of paintings, sculptures, photographs, installations and videos made by artists of diverse ages and cultural backgrounds. The final section includes a re-creation of a French collector’s apartment, complete with artworks.

The exhibition provides an opportunity to experience contemporary French art as it exists today – a unique expression of the nation’s psychological landscape – and at the same time it provides insight into how the collectors of this art incorporate it into their own lives. We hope visitors are inspired to contemplate for themselves the nature of art and life as well as the role that collectors can play in any art scene.