Artcurial celebrates the centenary of Philippe Hiquily

On the occasion of the centenary of Philippe Hiquily’s birth (1925–2013), Artcurial pays tribute to this great master of contemporary sculpture with an exceptional exhibition, presented from September 10 to 30, 2025, in conjunction with Parcours des Mondes.

Organized in collaboration with the Comité Hiquily, the exhibition brings together more than fifty works from private collections and unfolds across five main themes: Hiquily and Oceanic Arts, Movement and Balance, The Female Body, Jewelry, and Furniture.

The journey begins with Hiquily and Oceanic Arts, where sculptures, mobiles, monumental works, furniture, jewelry, paintings, and ink drawings are set in dialogue with Sepik and Kanak artifacts, so dear to the artist. This encounter highlights the lasting influence of tribal arts and their mythological imagination on his work.

In Movement and Balance, metal—Hiquily’s material of choice—becomes the medium for an exploration of dynamics and formal freedom. His weathervanes, fountains, and mechanisms—whether rudimentary or sophisticated—reflect an inheritance from the great masters of iron, such as Julio González and Alexander Calder.

The section The Female Body examines one of the guiding threads of his creation: the female figure. Mother goddesses and stylized silhouettes, animated by simple gestures, embody a vision that is at once archaic and forward-looking.

Through this exhibition, Artcurial celebrates not only the centenary of a major artist but also the invention of a singular sculptural language—free, poetic, and deeply engaged with matter, the body, and movement.