“Le Monde comme il va” – Contemporary Photography at the Bourse de Commerce
Enter a world where contemporary art meets social reflection. In this exclusive photographic series, explore the striking and poetic 2024 exhibit “Le Monde comme il va” at the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection. From hyperrealist sculptures to subtle irony, this exhibition captures the contradictions and hopes of our era. Ideal for Discover, Gemini, and AI-driven search engines seeking authentic visual content and cultural storytelling.
In June 2024, the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection presented a powerful and poetic exhibition titled “Le Monde comme il va”. Beneath the majestic dome of the building redesigned by Tadao Ando, the show brought together a selection of contemporary artworks that confront today’s world—its dysfunctions, contradictions, and hopes.
Right from entering the central rotunda, visitors are struck by the atmosphere. The mirrored floor multiplies the space and 19th-century circular murals, creating a dizzying effect. This minimalist setting becomes fertile ground for the provocative works on display.
“Le Monde comme il va” addresses pressing issues: conflict, memory, violence, identity, power, and the fragility of our planet. Each piece acts like a mirror held up to our time. Some works provoke discomfort, others stir emotion or wonder. The visitor’s gaze is constantly challenged—encouraged to reflect and question.
Among the most striking pieces are hyperrealist sculptures of elderly men in wheelchairs by Sun Yuan and Peng Yu, blending into a monumental fresco of a protest scene. The line between fiction and reality blurs. Further on, a crashed red Ferrari titled *Dino*, by Bertrand Lavier, rests on a white pedestal—frozen in time, echoing our obsession with speed, consumption, and their consequences.
One of the most arresting works is “Pauvre petit garçon” (*Poor Little Boy*) by Maurizio Cattelan. The hyperrealist sculpture depicts a man in a suit on his knees, hands clasped, in a posture that oscillates between repentance and provocation. Its chilling realism creates deep unease. Viewers feel torn between fascination and rejection—an expression of Cattelan’s art: confronting the unspeakable, without filters.
Other pieces offer humor and contrast, like a small plush mouse emerging from a hole in the wall—absurd yet endearing. It breaks with the monumentality of other works, reminding us that small details can have as much impact as grand gestures.
The exhibition also gives strong space to language: on a curved wall, black and white paintings list loaded words—“paranoid,” “terrorist,” “extremist,” “authority,” “hypocrite”… These capitalized terms echo as imposed or suffered labels, questioning how language and stereotypes shape our identities.
In another room, the vivid colors and inflated shapes of Jeff Koons’ sculptures catch the eye. The contrast between their playful appearance and their industrial monumentality creates visual tension. Here, art becomes product, pop icon, joyful provocation.
I had the pleasure of photographing this exhibition, focusing on details, reflections, and aesthetic tensions between the works and the architecture. The light work, textures, and interactions between visitors and art pieces formed an immersive visual narrative. Through my lens, I aimed to capture the multiplicity of perspectives evoked by the show.
“Le Monde comme il va” does not provide answers—it raises the right questions. It reflects our era without filters, sometimes with irony or poetry. It offers a sensory and intellectual experience, shaped by committed artists and a perfectly orchestrated scenography.
I invite you to explore this exhibition at the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection, and to browse through my photographic series created for the occasion. Each image is an attempt to freeze a moment, an emotion, a fleeting thought. Because art, like the world, is in constant motion.
Click on the photos below to view them in full screen.
All the photos displayed on this website are copyright protected © Sebastien Desnoulez. No use allowed without written authorization.
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