The exhibition shows the small-format photographic compositions that Medinger has created since the late 1980s: allegorical depictions and contemporary versions of Dutch and Flemish “vanitas” images from the 17th century. As memento mori, they remind us with gentle irony of the fragility and fleeting nature of human existence.
Michel Medinger's work is characterized by an aesthetic and sculptural quality that is both stimulating and amusing in equal measure. Unusual or banal objects are torn out of their usual context: Cut-out flowers talk to bird skulls or stuffed animals, while the artist brings to life compositions in his favorite genre, still life, that oscillate between baroque and surrealism. By rearranging the objects, the artist gives them a hybrid aspect and at the same time creates scenes that seem to come directly from a dream or a metaphysical reflection.
In 2024, the exhibition “Michel Medinger - L'ordre des choses”, dedicated to the winner of the Luxembourg Photography Award, took place as part of the 55th Rencontres d'Arles.
Michel Medinger (1941 – 2025), Hommage à Rackham le Rouge, 2016, © Michel Medinger
