PROJECTS
Here are some of the projects we would like to see come to fruition:
The main objectives of the Association are the organisation of a museum retrospective, and a variety of activities that would contribute to highlighting the artist on a national and an international level. In order to achieve these aims, the Association calls for public and private support.
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Museum retrospectives
A major solo exhibition takes place at the Musée du Château des Ducs de Wurtemberg in Montbéliard from April to September 2017, curated by the Director Aurélie Voltz.
Henry Valensi traveled to many countries; the Association Valensi is keen to propose a touring exhibition in the cities where he stopped, painted and exhibited.
A catalogue raisonné
This is an essential tool for researchers, curators, art schools, museums and collectors. The inventory was started by Didier Vallens in the 1980s but there are still many works to identify and locate. Investigations need to take place in the countries he travelled to, for instance.
A soundtrack for the Spring Symphony Film
“We know that Valensi would probably have liked to accompany his film with a musical score, but this was never achieved in his lifetime”, according to curator Michel Gauthier. As a consequence, Henry Valensi’s film is projected in its original version, with no music. Rather like the successors of Henri Matisse commissioned contemporary music composer Michel Redolfi to create a soundtrack for Matisse’s Jazz posthumously, the Association Valensi has in mind to commission contemporary music composers for musical accompaniment to Spring Symphony. A version with subtitles in French is available since March 2017 [an English version of the 87 subtitles is on its way].
A film Biopic on Henry Valensi’s life and work
The artist lived through the thriving period of Modernity and founded Musicalism. He travelled extensively, experienced both World Wars, before focussing intensely on the making of his life’s work: the cinepainting. His unique story generated a prolific body of work, yet he has remained on the margins of his time. This unusual itinerary constitutes rich material to inspire a film scenario. As an example, we have in mind Séraphine, a Franco-Belgian film by Martin Provost, that told the story of the self-taught painter Séraphine de Senlis. Released in 2008, it received many César film awards and contributed to the rediscovery of an artist who was unknown to the general public.
The Henry Valensi Prize
A year after the death of his wife Yvonne in 1954, Henry Valensi created the Yvonne Valensi Prize. The Association Valensi would like to reignite this project and intention by setting up a Henry Valensi Prize, geared particularly towards schools of Graphic Design and Cinema. One idea is to propose that students in their final year animate one of Valensi’s paintings as a 5 minute clip (prize, jury and communication).
A Pop-Up book for young audiences
For many people, Henry Valensi is a complete discovery. Two of the Symphonies exhibited at the Centre Pompidou drew huge attention from the public. According to curator Michel Gauthier: “These paintings really attract the audiences because of course few people know about Musicalism within the history of abstraction. In pictorial terms, Musicalism offers exuberant forms and structures that are quite baroque and complex”. A pop-up book would allow a very young audience to become familiar with modernity and musicalism. It would bring to life one of Valensi’s pet theories: the sentimental resonance of colours.
A document concerning sponsorship, with details of the Valensi Project action plan, is available upon request.