Hidden Portraits / Portraits Cachés
Current exhibition
Discover the fascinating portraits of the German artist Volker Hermes: a collision between history and fantasy.
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Prices (included in admission ticket)
The exhibition is presented as part of the tour of the château. It is accessible with the château ticket.
For full prices, click HERE.
If you wish to buy your ticket in advance, choose the "Self-guided tour of the monument" ticket.
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Note
Exhibition presented in the château's rooms
The château is not accessible to people with reduced mobility.
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Presentation
The Hidden Portraits exhibition features some thirty works by German visual artist Volker Hermes. Through his digital photo-montages, Volker Hermes revisits historical portraits by incorporating diverted ornaments inspired by costumes from the 16th to the 19th century, which invade the picture.
Fashion, with its luxurious fabrics and jewels, plays a key role in the exhibition. These added and recomposed elements transform the image into a visual fiction, creating an atmosphere that is both intriguing and offbeat.
In a facetious nod to the large collection of portraits by the Marquis de Biencourt, who owned the château in the 19th century, the works by Volker Hermes are integrated into the historic paintings in the château's permanent collection.
© L. de Serres
© L. de Serres
© L. de Serres
© L. de Serres
© L. de Serres
WHO IS VOLKER HERMES?
Volker Hermes was born in Germany in 1972. He draws and paints with power and spontaneity, combining perseverance and humour. His paintings and drawings are always part of large-scale projects in which he explores his subject in an almost scientific manner.
These projects include a reflection on portraiture that he has been working on for several years, and more recently, on the painting of historical battles and seascapes.
Volker Hermes' initial training in painting at the renowned Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf has undoubtedly given him an intimate knowledge of this medium, enabling him to decipher the works and the secrets they contain. His approach is based on a subtle and meticulous manipulation of the works, in which he partially or totally conceals the faces of the characters under accessories he creates from details collected in the portraits, such as masks, fabrics or exaggerated ornaments.
This process creates an intriguing visual tension, transforming these historical portraits into enigmatic images that resonate with current questions about identity, representation and censorship.
In his photomontages, Volker Hermes plays with the conventions of Renaissance and 19th-century painting, where clothing and accessories were often used to emphasise social status. By amplifying these elements to the point of absurdity, he encourages reflection on the codes of staging and power through images, as well as the norms imposed by society.
His revisited portraits, both fascinating and disconcerting, play with the boundaries between past and present and are highly modern.
A UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP WITH JULES PANSU
To celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Château d'Azay-le-Rideau, Jules Pansu has partnered with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux to create a unique tapestry woven from a photomontage by artist Volker Hermes. The tapestry, which depicts a full-length portrait of Francis I, is one of the exhibition's major pieces. It bears witness to an unprecedented dialogue between historical heritage, contemporary art and exceptional craftsmanship.
Founded in Paris in 1878, Jules Pansu has been perpetuating the excellence of Jacquard weaving for five generations in its workshops located in Halluin in the Hauts-de-France region. For nearly 150 years, it has embodied the perfect alliance between tradition and modernity, and has obtained the rights to adapt the works of numerous artists, including Miro and Picasso. The manufacturer has been certified as a ‘Living Heritage Company’ since 2012.
Fabrics by the metre, wall tapestries, cushions – all creations are woven within its factory. This mecca of French textiles relies on the excellence of its craftsmen, including two Meilleurs Ouvriers de France, who work in both production and design. Their rare mastery is a guarantee of unbeatable quality.
