The newly-spruced-up Musée en Herbe is celebrating its re-opening with an intriguing collaboration between a number of top Parisian galleries and illustrator Philippe Geluck, the man behind Le Chat. This well-known figure in French media is a fat, playful feline, full of insight but rarely wisdom. For this show, the museum has allowed Le Chat free rein to create his own responses to around 30 major pieces of art – from Lichtenstein to Magritte – then hung the results next to the original works, secured on loan from galleries, private collections and the artists themselves. Far from mocking or imitating the oeuvres, Le Chat gives them his own peculiar brand of interpretation, employing a humour as affectionate as it is teasing.
For younger cat and cartoon fans who might miss some of the show’s more philosophical overtones, the Musée en Herbe has added in a special set of activities for kids, including special notebooks (known as ‘cat’s ears’ in French) full of age-appropriate quizzes, and building blocks and fruit for little hands to have a go at re-creating works by Picasso or Arcimboldo. So everyone from Granddad to the smallest tot can get something out of this delightful show.
TRANSLATION: ELLEN HARDY