Opéra de Lausanne

The creation of posters for the season’s opera productions has been entrusted to the legendary French artist couple, Anne and Patrick Poirier.

It is the first time in their career that they have created a series of posters for an opera house.

We are also delighted that this collaboration was able to take place thanks to one of our patrons, Alice Pauli, who helped us to carry out this project. Our sincere thanks go out to her.

Biography of Anne and Patrick Poirier

After studying at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and much travelling in Asia, the Middle East and USA, Anne and Patrick Poirier spent three years at the Villa Medici in Rome. At the beginning of their stay they decided to work together. Putting aside their personal egos, they pooled their ideas and sensitivities to produce works that were the result of shared reflection.

Instead of shutting themselves in their studios in search of an individual language of expression, they became travellers, discoverers of traces, crossers of civilisations, religions and unknown cultures.

Having rejected the conventional roles of « sculptor » and « painter », they became archaeologists and architects, roles that were interchangeable in accordance with the requirements of projects or journeys. Their approach was no longer based on formal research; it instead focussed on behavioural science and history as a way of exploring the MEMORY, which they consider the basis of all intelligent exchanges between individuals and different societies. Children of the war, they denounce the FRAGILITY of civilisations and cultures. Their aesthetics are often based around FRAGMENTATION, RUIN and CATASTROPHE. As multidisciplinary artists, they feel free to use any means of expression.

As well as 40 years working together, they have had solo exhibitions in the most renowned museums and galleries, including: Neue Galerie-samlung Ludwig, Aachen (1973) ; Berliner Kunstverein ,  Berlin (1977) ; C A P C, Bordeaux (1977) ; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (1978) ; Palais des Beaux Arts, Bruxelles (1978) ; MOMA New York (1979) ; PS1, New York (1980) ; Festival d’Automne, Chapelle Saint Louis de la Salpetrière, Paris (1983) ; Chiesa San Carpoforo, Milan (1984) ; The Brooklyn Museum, New York, 1984) ; Museum Moderner Kunst, Vienna (1993) ; the Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2001).

They have taken part in many major international events, such as: Biennale des Jeunes, Paris (1973) ; Venice Biennale (1976,1980,1984) ; Documenta Kassel  (1977) ; Istanbul Biennale (1987) ; Vienna Festival, Austria (1991) ; Lyon Biennale (2000) ; Havanna Biennale (2006). Their works are included in many public and private collections all over the world.

Anne and Patrick Poirier live and work in Lourmarin in Provence.