March 11 › June 21, 2010

“What do I usually think or do? Here is your answer: come see my exhibition in March 2010.” Beat Takeshi Kitano

Funny yet touching, unpredictable yet brilliant, Beat Takeshi Kitano is a multifaceted and prolific artist that has captivated the Japanese public. Comedian and host of nine TV shows ranging from the highly comical to the very serious, he is one of the most popular entertainers in his own country. Abroad, Takeshi Kitano is a widely acclaimed author and actor, and has directed Sonatine (1995), Hana-Bi (1997, awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival) and Zatôichi (2003), among other masterpieces of contemporary film. His compelling work gives beautiful form to the expressions of violence, solitude and childlike playfulness. He also has a love of painting, his first and most private passion. For him, painting is the ideal form of representation and it plays an important role in the creative process of his filmmaking.

Beat Takeshi Kitano got caught up with their collaboration and imagined an extraordinary project. He is currently creating Gosse de peintre, a site-specific exhibition for the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain that presents an unexpected and captivating world in which the magical memories of his childhood take center stage. With subtlety and an impertinent humor, that moves from black to zany, Kitano leads the visitor through surprises, gags, and games, all the while mocking contemporary art, experimenting with the sciences, and toying with the clichés associated with his country. Presenting paintings and video films, as well as astonishing objects and settings, whimsical and fantastic machines, Beat Takeshi Kitano invites the visitor to think, play, dream and join the show.

This very first Beat Takeshi Kitano exhibition is undeniably one of the most unexpected and ambitious shows ever created for the Fondation Cartier. After its presentation in Paris, Gosse de peintre will be shown at other venues around the world.