A partnership for centenarian(centenary)
The weaving of the tapestry Piéta for World War I, intended(designed) in French-German Historial of Hartmannswillerkopf (68) to memorialise the Centenarian(Centenary) of the World War I, results from a partnership concluded in 2014 between the Committee of the national Monument of Hartmannswillerkopf (Haut-Rhin), the mixed Labour union(Syndicate) of the international City(Estate) of tapestry in Aubusson, in the Creuse, and the Mission of Centenarian(Centenary) 14-18. His(Her,Its) model, imagined by the German artist and pioneer of the Pop art Thomas Bayrle, was realised thanks to the financial support of the Group Würth.
The artist: Thomas Bayrle
The command(order) of the model of tapestry was sent to Thomas Bayrle (born in 1937), artist native to Berlin. The plastic surgeon then delivered a masterpiece of squared dimension(size) (4,5 X 4,5 metres), in black and white, representing Piéta – face(figure) of the Virgin(Virgo) crying her dead son whom she holds in the arms. This emotional drawing is compound(made up) of the repetition(rehearsal) of the same motive for death's-head, declined and stretched in order to fulfil the outlines of Piéta by a three-dimensional effect. This multitude of skulls represents so many(much) fathers, brothers, husbands or sons(threads) fallen on battlefields.
Thomas Bayrle was born in 1937 in Berlin. He saw and works in Frankfurt. Its works included, between others, the Modern Art museum of Frankfurt, the Art museum of Stuttgart, MOCA of Los Angeles, FNAC of Puteaux and the TAIL COAT(FRAC) of Limousin. Its pictorial productions join the Pop art. They consist of the repetition(rehearsal) of a motive with variable size the put in abyss to imagine itself, playing so on the optic sensations of the audience.
An exceptional realisation
This tapestry of about 21 m2 was realised by a team of lissiers of the Workshop Patrick Guillot, in Aubusson. For opportunity(occasion), the City(Estate) of tapestry put in arrangement(disposal) of craftsmen(architects) a job(business) 8 metres long devoted in large-scale commands(orders). This meticulous work really allowed to sublimate the drawing of the artist by adding it an additional, cleanly memorial dimension(size), what makes a symbol of French-German reconciliation.
Creation implements different techniques and materials(subjects) to create trick of the eye: cotton, wool, silk, rayon, viscose, up to the fibers of textured polyester, to create the white of the eyes of Piéta. Tapestry «fell of job(business)» in the presence of the artist and of the representatives of the partners June 9th, 2017, after fourteen months of weaving.
A travelling work
From the start project, will was to make of Piéta a travelling work, intended(designed) to travel(browse) different museums and commemorative sites in Europe and beyond. The tapestry of centenarian(centenary) was revealed to the public on November 10th, 2017, on the occasion of the unveiling of French-German Historial of the First World War, in the presence of sir Emmanuel Macron, President of French the Republic and of sir Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of federal republic d' Allemagne.
After a presentation(display) in Aubusson at the beginning of the year, Piéta returns to the Historial du Hartmannswillerkopf for the whole cultural and memory season on 2018. The visitors will be able to discover her(it) in these symbolic places from March 30th till October 21st.
Following it, tapestry will join Würthhaus in Berlin, where it will be presented in link in particular with the memory ceremonies memorialising the centenarian(centenary) of the Veteran's Day between France and Germany, at the end of First World War. A French-German event will be organised in particular around work in the evening of Thursday, November 15th in partnership with the French-German Service(Office) for Youth and the embassy of France in Berlin.
After this exceptional presentation(display) in Germany, Piéta will pursue the touring by joining the city of Chengdu, in China in touch with the Academy of Arts.