Alfred Manessier, Traverser le Monde

Collection du Lieu d’Art et Action Contemporaine, Dunkirk

(12/4/26-11/10/26)

Hailing from the Hauts-de-France region, Alfred Manessier holds a major place in the art of the second half of the 20th century. In his work, faith, tragedy, and hope are inseparable from a way of being in the world—one that is both clear-sighted and deeply felt. The painting of Alfred Manessier (1911–1993) evolved through a constant dialogue with his times. Nourished by his personal commitments, the waterscapes of Picardy and the North, and an ongoing reflection on the sacred, his work responds to what he termed the "provocation" of the world; he entrusted color and gesture with expressing a sensory experience of reality, remaining attentive to both historical upheavals and more intimate resonances. The LAAC holds a significant body of work created between the late 1960s and the late 1970s; this exhibition places these pieces in dialogue with other phases of the artist's output, primarily in connection with the collections of the Beffroi Musée Boucher de Perthes – Manessier in Abbeville. Waterscapes, the exploration of light, a commitment to confronting injustice, and a spiritual dimension form the core themes of this work.

Curated by Sophie Warlop (Director of Dunkirk Museums)

HFA related artists:

Jean Le Moal

Gustave Singier