Les grandes dames de l’art

Valentine Hugo

24.02.2022

Fanny Michaëlis, Valentine Hugo, 2022
© Fanny Michaëlis

The podcast “Les grandes dames de l’art” (“Great women of art”) gives a voice to the women artists of the 20th century. They talk about their work, their life, the world around them, and their achievements. Let us go in search of their presence, their secrets. Let us rediscover the hidden stories of women artists through their voices.

After Leonora Carrington and to close this chapter on surrealist women artists, let’s discover the voice of Valentine Hugo, an artist consumed by art whose work ethic and determination are perceptible in the account she gives of her life.

She first became interested in dance and music and, after being drawn to the world of theatre, made numerous costumes and sets, collaborating regularly with the most famous directors and choreographers of her time. From 1931 onwards, she became one of the few women officially introduced into the surrealist group. She designed installations from encounters or collages of found objects. During this period, she also began to paint numerous portraits of her entourage, always from memory.

“Les grandes dames de l’art” is a podcast produced by AWARE: Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions, in collaboration with the Institut national de l’audiovisuel, with the support of Maison Veuve Clicquot and the Ministry of Culture’s Délégation à la transmission, aux territoires et à la démocratie culturelle.

Coordinated by: Mathilde de Croix and the AWARE team
Directed by: Élodie Royer
Music by: Juliano Gil
Credits: Andrew Nelson
Sound Editing: Basile Beaucaire
Scientific Advisors: Catherine Gonnard and Marjorie Micucci
Translation: Beth Gordon
French Voice: Camille Morineau
English Voice: Lou Doillon
Translation of the Artist’s Voice: Eve Dayre

Les grandes dames de l'art

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