First Henri Matisse Dedicated Exhibition in Africa

For the first time, Henri Matisse’ masterpieces will be presented on the African continent. Entitled “Rhythm and Meaning”, the exhibition is organized by the French embassy in South Africa, the French Institute of South Africa, the Matisse museum in Le Canteau Cambrésis (France) and the Johannesburg museum.

Along with Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp, Henri Matisse revolutionized the plastic arts in the early 20th century. His work will be shown at the Standard Bank Gallery of Johannesburg, which has already hosted some of the greatest artists of the last century including Marc Chagall, Joan Miro and Pablo Picasso.

The exhibition will include a number of paintings, drawings, collages and prints of Matisse. The core of the exhibition will be the full suite of twenty impressions of the prints in the artist’s book Jazz.
Federico Freschi, co-curator of the exhibition and executive dean of the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Arts, says, “The art of Henri Matisse has universal appeal. At once figurative and abstract, decorative and profoundly intellectual, Matisse’s art brought into existence of new kind of harmony of unexpected elements that changed the way we view the world. In short, he found a particular kind of ‘rhythm and meaning’ that resonates across time and across cultures.”

For Ben Kruger, CEO of Standard Bank, “ The Henri Matisse exhibition will give South Africans the rare opportunity to experience the work of one of the twentieth century’s modern masters first hand. The exhibition forms part of our continued commitment to the support and development of the arts in South Africa”.

The Ambassador of France to South Africa, HE Elisabeth Barbier, commented, “The French Embassy and the French Institute are proud to partner again with the Standard Bank Gallery. After the successes of the previous exhibitions, we are honored to share in South Africa the best of art and such an important part of our world heritage.”