LE SALON DE MUSIQUE curated by STEPHAN EICHER: Munich

"What a joy to bring my life, music and my love, art together here in these rooms...and couldn't one definition of happiness be: when two worlds meet?" - Stephan Eicher

Music is one of the oldest forms of art, conveying strong emotions and playing a central role in the lives of many artists. Our exhibition, LE SALON DE MUSIQUE, approaches music in a unique way, as it is primarily meant to be seen, not heard. Curated by the Swiss music legend Stephan Eicher, who is friends with many artists and has a close connection to the performing arts, as evident in his album covers and music videos. The exhibition features new and selected works by John Armleder, Sophie Calle, Sylvie Fleury, Gregor Hildebrandt, Idris Khan, Alicja Kwade, Jockum Nordström, Olivier O. Olivier, Rainier Lericolais, Dan Reeder, Janina Roider, and Annik Wetter.

John M. Armleder, a prominent contemporary object artist, is represented in the exhibition with "Sans Titre," a monumental monochromatic canvas flanked by two identical Fender electric guitars. Armleder shares a close connection with Stephan Eicher through collaborative performances and experimental musical escapades.
The French conceptual artist Sophie Calle presents works related to her memorial album "Souris Calle." After the passing of her beloved cat Souris (Mouse), she asked musicians, including Stephan Eicher, to immortalize the animal in a song. The result is a record with deeply beautiful songs about love.

Gregor Hildebrandt, known for his minimalist works using analog media like vinyl, cassette tapes, and reel-to-reel tapes, shares a passion for music with Stephan Eicher. Catalogs and album covers have emerged in a symbiotic exchange with Eicher, and they have even sung together. New works include minimalist rip-off paintings, a black-and-white diptych titled "Charlotte"... "sometimes" (The Cure), and brilliant cassette display cases forming portraits of celebrities, bringing the past into the present.

Influenced by the lockdown, Eicher, along with Sylvie Fleury and Annik Wetter, designed the cover for his album "Ode." The photo works featuring a red parasol and green shoes by Sylvie Fleury, photographed by Annik Wetter, evoke the graphic representation of the virus and time "sans contact," as mentioned in a song from the album.

In Idris Kahn's "Dedicated to memories," musical notes layer into a delicate painting, resembling parallel compositions converging in a moment. Alicja Kwade's poetic installation from 2010, "28 disconnected futures (sound wood)," comprises 28 wooden elements from musical instruments forming a unique chord, expressing Kwade's existential understanding of the power of dislocation through the decontextualization of different materials and forms.

Works by musician and painter Dan Reeder recall the humorous piece "Né un ver," recorded with Stephan Eicher, where the artists question the course of life.
Painter Janina Roider transforms into a musician with her new video work "five minutes of fame," humorously questioning "fame" while performing as the avatar Jay Roy, immortalizing her alter ego as a musician lasting exactly 5 minutes, as stated in her song lyrics.

We thank the d'Artagnan of pop music and all the artists for this unique exhibition, showcasing the close intertwining of music with contemporary art. Is it the music with contemporary art or contemporary art with music?