From Politics to Portraits: A French Visionary’s Artistic Journey Unveiled

French politician, writer and artistic photographer Muriel Pénicaud is set to hold her first exhibition simultaneously at two galleries in Puducherry this week.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The ‘Wind into the Roots’ exhibition (January 17-February 28) at The Spot showcases two significant series on urban landscapes and trees, whereas the ‘Deep Heights’ exhibition (January 17-February 23) at Kalinka Art Gallery conveys an allegory of freedom and spiritual ascension through poetic visuals of birds and heights that emerge in her series ‘Life is red’.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

This week, the versatile French politician Muriel Pénicaud embarks on a journey to this region with a focus entirely different from the many times she has previously traveled southeast.

The ex-French Minister for Labour during the administration of Prime Minister Édouard Philippe under President Emmanuel Macron (2017-2020) is arriving in the city this week to exhibit her parallel growth as an artist-photographer throughout a long career balancing a multitude of roles as diplomat, author, lecturer, and business leader.

As a notable figure within the liberal-centrist ideology of France’s Renaissance party, one of Ms. Pénicaud’s hallmark achievements occurred when, as Minister, she led the revamp of the Labour Code (2017) and the law ‘For the freedom to choose one’s professional future’ (2018), resulting in significant development of apprenticeships, the introduction of the personal training account in euros, and advancements in professional equality between women and men (EgaPro Index).

She also played a pivotal role in negotiating and finalizing the inaugural G7 agreement with global social partners, aiming to provide universal access to social protection (2019) and additionally held the position of Ambassador, Permanent Representative of France to the OECD (2020-2022), where she initiated and negotiated the endorsement of the International Program to combat Climate Change (IPAC), and strove to integrate youth, gender equality, and climate concerns into the ministerial priorities of OECD member countries.

Ms. Pénicaud, who has presented her artwork, including numerous award-winning prints, at prestigious galleries in Paris, Beijing, and Tokyo, is showcasing her first display here through two simultaneous exhibitions.

The ‘Wind into the Roots’ exhibition (January 17-February 28) at The Spot showcases two significant series on urban landscapes and trees, while the ‘Deep Heights’ exhibition (January 17-February 23) at Kalinka Art Gallery conveys an allegory of freedom and spiritual ascension through poetic visuals of birds and heights that emerge in her series ‘Life is red’.

As per Karine Soundaramourty-Pelade, art curator and founder of Kalinka contemporary art space, Muriel Pénicaud investigates in her imagery a distinctive form of visual narrative, where each photograph narrates a tale and captures emotions. “Her snapshots embody the poetry of the instant, fleeting like a bird’s flight or eternal like the grandeur of trees.”

Providing insight into her artistic philosophy, Ms. Pénicaud once noted that photography was “my method of taming the world, sharing my disbelief, creating distance from violence, and sparking wonder”.

An exciting aspect of the exhibition will be the launch on January 20 of her debut photography book scheduled for release in 2024, titled ‘Matrix of Worlds’, a monograph featuring 150 of her prints followed by a book-signing and meet-and-greet event.

According to Segiyane-Sylvain Paquiry, entrepreneur and hotelier, hosting the exhibition at The Spot, a venue of Alliance Francaise that has been transformed into a European restaurant-cum-cultural lounge, Ms. Pénicaud is also a headline speaker at a two-day ‘Study in France’ conference commencing on January 18.