From February 6 to April 26, 2026, the Fondation Clément in Martinique is pleased to present to the audience a major new exhibition entitled “Painting in Martinique: A Decentered History of Art, 1765–1943”, made possible through the exceptional loan and support of the Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac in Paris.
Christelle Lozère, the curator of this magnificent exhibition, introduces it with these words: “Painting in Martinique addresses the issue of artistic practices in Martinique between 1765 and 1943. More than 150 works retrace the major timeframes in the history of art in Martinique: from the construction of dominant colonial imaginaries to the aesthetic rebellion driven by Negritude and Surrealism, with the creation of the School of Applied Arts. The exhibition highlights the divisions, silences, and prejudices, but also the resistance and struggles from both Martinique and Paris for access to artistic training in public schools and for the development, in the interwar period, of a Martinican art representing the people, scenes, and landscapes of the péyi”.
For over two months, various activities were offered, such as creative workshops for children accompanied by their parents, as well as themed tours focused on portraiture, the representation of women, and landscape, led by Philippa Sissis (art historian).
To conclude the event, a free lecture will be held on Sunday, April 26, at 10:00 am at the former distillery of the Habitation Clément. It is entitled: “André Masson, Wilfredo Lam, Antonin Pelc, Carl Heidenreich: Artists who sought refuge in Martinique in 1941”. Indeed, “between the defeat of May-June 1940 and the end of 1941, some 5,000 refugee men, women, and children arrived in Martinique from Marseilles on cargo ships, thus escaping a burning Europe. Some were Jewish, others were Spanish Republicans or anti-Nazis from Central Europe. Among them, many were writers, intellectuals, and artists (…)”. This conference will be given by Éric Jennings, professor of contemporary history, a renowned specialist in French colonial history, and chair of the History Department at the University of Toronto (Canada).
