If you have visited Ben Brown Fine Arts in Mayfair recently, you will have been lucky enough to catch the truly wondrous Les Lalanne: Makers of Dreams, an extensive survey of the work of the late legendary French artistic duo François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne – known collectively as ‘Les Lalanne.’
Choreographed by the late famed Italian designer Manfredi della Gherardesca, the exhibition – which runs until 29 July – presents an unprecedented body of over 100 iconic works that come alive as a magical menagerie spread across not just Ben Brown Fine Arts itself but also the newly opened Claridge’s ArtSpace across the road. From François-Xavier’s ingeniously functional Hippopotame I, a life-size hippopotamus in blue resin which opens up to reveal a full bath suite (currently situated in the main foyer of Claridge’s), to the various iterations of Claude’s surrealist Choupatte – superbly detailed veined cabbage leaves atop whimsical chickens’ feet – the exhibition is playful, witty and vastly ambitious.
Following on in brilliant form this autumn, Ben Brown Fine Arts has just announced yet another impressive show: Ghosts of Empires ll, which is curated by Ghanaian-American curator and cultural critic Larry Ossei-Mensah. Running 15 September – 22 October 2022, the exhibition seeks to explore the intersections, overlaps, and dissonance between the Black Atlantic and Asia Imperialist Trade routes.
