Clark & Pougnaud, Life is a Game

From June 10 to July 31, 2023, Galerie XII Paris presents "Une certaine idée du bonheur", the new exhibition by artist duo Clark and Pougnaud.

Photographs by Clark et Pougnaud

Revealed by the project "Hommage à Hopper" - winner of the HSBC Prize and the Arcimboldo Award - the duo Clark and Pougnaud continue to shape their surrealist universe where the arts meet, between photography, painting and theater. Virginie Pougnaud makes and paints the sets, Christophe Clark photographs them.

"We always have fun playing with differences in scale and perspective. For us, photography is a game, but one we take very seriously," explains Christophe Clark.

With the "A Poils" series (2023), in a play of shadows, light, bright colors and lines, the duo put the models - often friends or acquaintances - back at the center of their work. "The simplicity of the decor is what has evolved. There's a movement we're trying to follow, we're looking to move towards something a little more pared-down and stripped-down," adds Virginie Pougnaud.

©Clark et Pougnaud - Caroline au fauteuil rouge, 2023 - Courtesy Galerie XII

Another series on show, "Fetish" (2020), plays with eras and symbols. This collection of surreal memento mori, combining painting, photography and collage, tells of an artist's soul and the discreet evocation of a feminine presence.

Clark et Pougnaud, "Une certaine idée du bonheur", June 10 to July 31, 2023,
Galerie XII Paris , 14 rue des Jardins Saint-Paul, Paris.