On the 4th floor of the Pompidou Center, Antoine d’Agata unveils the full expanse of his life in an ambitious 100-day artistic residency titled Method. This immersive, intimate, and meticulous experience invites visitors into the heart of the photographer’s creative process.
In the modestly sized Room 21bis, until December 31st, a minimalist installation awaits: linear shelves lining the walls and a central structure made of 37 cubes. Here, d’Agata carefully unfolds his archives—along with his thoughts and obsessions. The dim, enclosed space resembles a darkroom, or more aptly, a mental laboratory where the artist gives form and meaning to his work.
The program is rigorous, with an ambitious goal: to fill the space with 256 work notebooks over 100 days, averaging 2.5 notebooks per day. To accomplish this, d’Agata delves into his physical and digital archives, extracting digital and analog photographs, cherished objects, maps, and literary texts.
After years of living nomadically, exploring the fringes and conflict zones of the world, d’Agata has taken the unprecedented step of grounding himself in one place. Rather than presenting a conventional exhibition, he seeks to give tangible form to his thoughts, to organize his ideas, and to attempt to “close a cycle.” This introspective endeavor allows him to revisit his work and create a coherent message, structuring his output to prevent it from dissolving into the chaos of interpretation. It’s a quest for structure and formalization that the artist now deems “necessary.”
The strength and beauty of Method also lie in the shared intimacy. Every Thursday evening, guest authors join d’Agata to explore fundamental themes in his work: history, cruelty, fragility, longing, and death. These conversations provide the public with a unique opportunity to discover the influences that shaped the artist and the deep reflections driving his creations. The continuous presence of visitors, free to roam and interact with d’Agata, fosters a dynamic far removed from the stiffness of a traditional exhibition opening. Instead, the evolving nature of the display offers fresh perspectives, encouraging repeat visits to witness its transformation.
Antoine d’Agata : Method
Until January 1, 2025
Pompidou Center
Place Georges-Pompidou
75004 Paris, France
http://www.centrepompidou.fr
