Jean Dubuffet Coucou Bazar Dance Performance at Fondation Beyeler

On the occasion of the exhibition Jean Dubuffet at Fondation Beyeler in Riehen (Basel, Switzerland) two figures of Dubuffet’s unique stage spectacle Coucou Bazar are being brought to life on Wednesdays 3/5 pm and Sundays 2/4 pm.

In his spectacular stage piece Coucou Bazar, Dubuffet combined painting, sculpture, theatre, dance and music into a unique, multimedia work of art. This “animated painting” marks the climax not just of the L’Hourloupe cycle but of Dubuffet’s entire oeuvre. During the performance, the various costumed figures interacted continuously with each other and with the scenery, so that the presentation took on the form of a metamorphic figural landscape. Altogether 60 of these costumes and pieces of set are on display at the Fondation Beyeler—only rarely have the elements of Coucou Bazar been exhibited in public on this scale. Dubuffet’s large stage show was produced just three times: in 1973 in New York and Paris, and in 1978 in Turin. This last staging was documented in a film that can also be seen as part of this exhibition. For conservation reasons, Coucou Bazar can no longer be enacted in its entirety. The only two costumes that may still be animated are brought to life by professional performers on Wednesdays and Sundays during the exhibition.

The mise-en-scène of Coucou Bazar for the Fondation Beyeler was conceived by Kiriakos Hadjiioannou and Elodie Bergerault under the participation of Dominique Cardito, Simon Wherli, Giuliano Guerrini and Marcella Moret. A more detailed documentation of the performance is coming soon.

Soundtrack: User 383913618.

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