Hervé Di Rosa at the Mucem. A Family Resemblance
Much like this exhibition, which resembles a large-scale installation where everything is mixed together and even a small folk art object can be presented in a grand manner, the book takes the form of a comic book, with a vibrant and cheerful cover specially illustrated by Hervé Di Rosa.
Inside, however, the catalog takes a more traditional approach. It includes an interview with the artist, two articles devoted to his biography and working methods, as well as three essays discussing, respectively, the embedding of art in literature, the “proper use” of objects, and, finally, the transformations in museum exhibition design in which Hervé Di Rosa participates as an “alchemist.” The book’s illustrations also reflect this striking blend: alongside reproductions of artworks and objects from the Mucem, several pages are devoted to views of the exhibition design in order to best recreate the “museum archipelago” conceived by the artist, free from any predetermined visitor route. Unpublished preparatory sketches also allow readers to go behind the scenes of Hervé Di Rosa’s creative process and the design of this exhibition.
