Musée d’Art Moderne 11 (André Cadere)

Davis Lisboa, Musée d’Art Moderne 11 (André Cadere), 2017. Oil on linen, 30 × 30 × 3.5 cm (11.81 × 11.81 × 1.38 in).

Integrated into The Paintings Section of the Davis Museum Barcelona, this work gains particular visibility through its selection as the cover image for Grimus, the novel by Salman Rushdie published by Éditions Gallimard in Paris. This editorial context extends its reach, positioning the painting at the intersection of contemporary art and literary culture.

The composition originates from a black-and-white photograph by Bernard Marcelis featuring André Cadere, a key figure in 1970s European conceptual art, known for his Barres de bois cubiques, modular works he would introduce into exhibitions without authorization. In the image, Cadere holds one of these pieces, while in the background appears Miroir d’époque Régence by Marcel Broodthaers. Taken during the exhibition Informations (Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, 1974), the scene prompts a reflection on the exhibition space and the relationships between artwork, artist, and institution.

Formally, the painting adopts a restrained atmosphere informed by the metaphysical tradition of Giorgio de Chirico. The scene is reconstructed through the introduction of displaced elements and signs that disrupt a direct reading, producing an image that moves away from its source while still retaining its presence.

As part of The Paintings Section of the Davis Museum Barcelona, the work operates as an autonomous painting within a broader framework. It belongs to a project that expands the notion of the museum, integrating collection, display, and circulation into a single structure.