Francis Alÿs: Le temps du sommeil Exhibition of Paintings and Films

This exhibition features Francis Alÿs's ongoing series 'Le temps du sommeil,' comprising 111 small paintings created over two decades. The works depict miniaturized scenes and simple actions that reveal subtle absurdities, often featuring a man in a suit as the protagonist. The exhibition also includes screenings of Alÿs's films 'Paradox of Praxis 1' and 'Paradox of Praxis 5.'

Francis Alÿs is known for his understated interventions and performative actions, as well as for initiating and coordinating large-scale collective actions rich in allegorical content. The exhibition at Secession centers on 'Le temps du sommeil' (1996–), a body of work that is paradigmatic of his entire oeuvre due to its subtlety and elusiveness. 'Le temps du sommeil' is a series of 111 paintings, begun over the last two decades. It is unclear if the number is final, as Alÿs occasionally revises or overpaints the images, a fact noted by a stamp on each work. The panels feature miniaturized scenes and often appear as snapshots of simple movements and activities that, upon closer inspection, turn out to be rather absurd. A man in a gray suit often appears as the protagonist, sometimes with a second actor in the same attire. Some images also depict a woman, usually in a red dress. 'Le temps du sommeil' poetically describes Alÿs's artistic practice, showing what the artist cannot articulate. The interplay of word and image, frequently conveyed through the works' titles, is a crucial aspect of his art. The exhibition presents these paintings alongside conceptual texts and ideas for interventions and artworks, which are not intended as explanations but rather as participants in a dialogue. This dialogue highlights the complex and often humorous relationship between visual and verbal communication. In the Graphic Cabinet, two of his films are shown: 'Paradox of Praxis 1' (_Sometimes Making Something Leads to Nothing_), 1997, and 'Paradox of Praxis 5', _Ciudad Juárez, Mexico (Sometimes we dream as we live and we live as we dream)_, 2013.

Information regarding tickets can be found via a provided link to an external ticketing service. Standard museum opening hours apply; the venue is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM.