TOULOUSE
Organised by the Maison de l’Architecture Occitanie-Pyrénées, the “Qui est le poème” exhibition presents a selection of pictorial works by Babou (Christian Baboulène), a painter from Villeneuve-sur-Lot and a leading figure in narrative figuration, from which he has gradually broken free. The author of more than 1,700 works, Babou draws on his family heritage as carpenters and roofers for architectural inspiration, which he explores through colour and material, constantly questioning the very nature of painting.
The exhibition brings together Babou’s paintings and the baroque architecture of the Chapelle des Carmélites in Toulouse. This encounter creates a poetic and psychoanalytical interplay between the decorative motifs of the building and the artist’s compositions. When night falls, a lighting system transforms the experience: the ornamentation of the chapel fades away, leaving only the paintings to appear, adding a performative dimension to the visit.
The works on show are from the “Dômes” series (1976-1980), emblematic of Babou’s work on light, structure and colour.
