06
L’exposition Pigalle au l de la presse :
un succès médiatique et populaire
e Pigalle exhibition as perceived by
the press: a media and popular success L Nicolas Rollands’est
’
exposition à la galerie Pigalle imposée dès son ouverture en février 1930
dans la
comme un événement marquant longue chronologie de la reconnaissance
des arts extra-occidentaux en France.
Son succès, dont les causes sont multiples,
the galerie
mesure de l’importante
From its opening in February 1930,a été d’abord à la fréquentation du théâtre Pigalle qui,
malgré les difficultés liées à sa direction
artistique, agissait comme un puissant
pôle l’entredeux
culturel dans le Paris de guerres1.
Parallèlement, la presse s’est aussi chargée – en
commentant largement l’exposition – de relayer et
d’accroître la notoriété de l’événement, bien au-delà
du cénacle parisien. Journaux quotidiens, revues d’art,
de littérature et de théâtre, magazines d’information,
presse nationale, régionale, algérienne, polonaise,
anglaise ou allemande : le spectre des périodiques qui
ont traité de l’exposition est large et donne une idée
relativement précise des diverses tendances de
l’opinion publique de l’époque au sujet de l’art « nègre ».
L’art « nègre » n’est plus une nouveauté
Un premier constat revient d’abord de façon récurrente :
en 1930, l’art africain ou océanien ne constitue
plus pour le grand public une découverte. L’influence
qu’il a exercée dès le début du siècle sur le travail
des artistes d’avant-garde est rappelée par de
nombreux commentateurs comme une évidence, voire
un poncif. « C’est là déjà de l’histoire ancienne »2
Pigalle exhibition became a milestone in the long
chronology of the appreciation of non-western art
in France. Its success – due to a variety of reasons
– was firstly a reflection of the number of visitors
to the théâtre Pigalle which, despite the difficulties
associated with its artistic direction, acted as an
important cultural focus in Paris during the
interwar period1.
At the same time, the press – through the wide
exposure it gave the exhibition – was responsible
for spreading and boosting the event’s notoriety
well beyond the art circles of Paris. The range of
periodicals covering the exhibition was very broad
– daily papers, art, literary and theatre journals,
news magazines and the national, regional, Algerian,
Polish, English and German press – and gives a
relatively accurate idea of the diverse trends of public
opinion on the subject of “Negro” art at that time.
“Negro” art no longer a novelty
One recurring message that comes across is that
in 1930, African and Oceanic art was no longer a
novelty to the general public. The influence this
art had exerted on the work of avant-garde artists
since the start of the century is mentioned by many
commentators as a truism or even a cliché. “It is
already ancient history2”, states
Extrait de l’article de Florent Fels «Les Arts sauvages à la galerie Pigalle » publié dans L’Art vivant, 15 mars 1930, no 126, p. 232
(voir cat. 121, 284, 354 et 356)
74
1-169_PIGALLE_BAT_20180806.indd 74-75 21/12/2018 13:05
155
IG. 4 (ABOVE): Roof fi nial.
Kanak, New Caledonia.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New
York, 1979.206.1451.
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / image of
the MMA.
T. A. M.: What were the biggest challenges you faced
in the process of identifying the works displayed at the
Pigalle show?
C.-W. H. and N. R.: Putting together this catalogue
raisonné required fi rst of all that a maximum
number of objects be visually identifi ed. The in situ
photographs were, of course, a precious source
here, but they were not the only one. We also did a
great deal of research on publications of the period,
including specialized works, art magazines, and even
the daily papers. We were gratifi ed to fi nd that the
show had been much discussed in the media and that
many articles in the press had illustrated objects that
were on view at Galerie Pigalle.
Next, all of these images had to be matched with
the list of 425 entries in the exhibition catalog. That
was an immense task, much harder to complete than
one might think, because so many of the names of
ethnic groups and geographical locations have changed
since 1930. Moreover, the original catalog contained
a number of mistakes with regard to the origins of
the pieces, their dimensions, and their owners. But
the most complex phase of the creation of the book
was without a doubt the process of putting together a
complete history and a comprehensive bibliography for
each of the identifi ed works in it. Some of those works
appear in print here for the fi rst time, but other betterknown
pieces—and there were many masterpieces in
the exhibition—have been illustrated in dozens of other
publications, and these all had to be named and listed.
We approached this book as a tool for research and
wanted to make it as useful as possible to scholars, art
professionals, and everyone interested in the history of
the artworks in it.
T. A. M.: Only 500 copies of the book were printed.
Do you envision any projects that could help further
disseminate the results of the enormous amount of
work you did?
C.-W. H. and N. R.: There are huge costs associated
with the creation of a book like this (layout,
illustrations, printing, editing, remunerating authors,
etc.), which we fi nanced entirely ourselves. We
consequently chose limit to the number of copies
printed and not to go through usual bookshop
distribution channels. The book is available only at the
gallery and on a website we recently launched (www.
galeriepigalle1930.com). Our focus was on producing a
high-quality publication that would be as attractive to
bibliophiles as to enlightened art afi cionados, with the
idea that its rarity would contribute to its interest. We
don’t foresee any additional printings of the book.
On the other hand, with the goal of getting our
work out to a larger audience very much in mind, we
are currently investigating the possibility of organizing
a large-scale exhibition on the subject. The event
that was presented at the Espace Tribal venue last
September provided us with valuable insights and a
taste of what it might be possible to do in a major
museum. Imagine all of the masterpieces shown at
Galerie Pigalle in 1930 reunited a hundred years later
in a space and setting that recreated the ambiance and
the historical importance of the event … . Obviously,
Paris would be the ideal place for that, but any
proposals that might come from abroad would certainly
be met with great interest.
FIG. 3 (BELOW): Staff.
Kongo, DR Congo.
Private collection. © Hughes Dubois,
with the kind permission of Entwistle
Gallery.
NOTE
1.Maureen Murphy, De
l’imaginaire au musée, Les
arts d’Afrique à Paris et à
New York (1931–2006), Les
presses du réel, 2009, and
“L’exposition d’art africain
et d’art océanien à la galerie
du théâtre Pigalle, à Paris,
en 1930,” in D’un regard
l’autre. Histoire des regards
européens sur l’Afrique,
l’Amérique et l’Océanie,
Musée du Quai Branly –
Jacques Chirac – RMN GP,
2006, pp. 308–310.
/galeriepigalle1930.com