Observatoires. Carte Blanche to John M Armleder

For this sixth Carte Blanche, the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire de Genève (MAH) has entrusted the keys to its exceptional collection to John M Armleder. A radical figure and driving force of the Geneva art scene for more than half a century, this “artist’s artist” has redefined art through his embrace of the unexpected. The result? A unique museum experience in which unpredictability becomes a method. Through the exhibition Observatories, Armleder draws on more than 500 works from the MAH collection to create a thematic journey in which each of the thirteen galleries explores a distinct universe, ranging from animals and abstract painting to musical instruments and lighting design. The ambition of the project is breathtaking in scale. Armleder’s renowned Furniture Sculptures and large geometric paintings enter into dialogue with cultural treasures such as the flower paintings of Jan Brueghel the Elder and portraits by Ferdinand Hodler and Alberto Giacometti, while also intersecting with icons of modern and contemporary art including Salvador Dalí, Joseph Beuys, Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, Sol LeWitt, Yoko Ono, Sonia Delaunay, and Tristan Tzara. John M Armleder abolishes any hierarchy between ordinary objects and works of art, inviting visitors on an enigmatic wandering through the exhibition, where they are encouraged to compose their own repertoire of ideas and associations.