'moebius-transe-forme'
fondation cartier, paris, france
on now until 13 march, 2011



'inside moebius 6', second park, by moebius, 2007
© moebius production


the fondation cartier pour l'art contemporain presents an exhibition devoted to the work of
french comics artist jean giraud, more commonly known by his pseudonyms moebius and gir.
'moebius-transe-forme' is the first major show in paris dedicated to giraud's contribution to
the graphic medium, chronicling his earlier work to his more progressive delineation that often goes
beyond the traditional boundaries of the discipline. presented in an impressive collection of
original notebook sketches, comic book panels, paintings, unpublished drawings as well as
an animated film, the exhibition explores the theme of metamorphosis, an overriding motif present
in the artist's body of work.



'moebius-transe-forme' at the fondation cartier in paris, france
image courtesy fondation cartier
image by olivier ouadah



exhibition view
image by olivier ouadah


a collaboration between moebius and the fondation cartier, the first part of the exhibition
in the jean nouvel-designed building is an account of six major characters from the artist's comics.
featuring a curvy display table unit that recalls characters of a moebius strip defines the ground level
space while directing the viewers along a thematic route. the long glazed facades that flank the room
is outfitted with wall length screens depicting a blown up drawing by giraud.



wall length screen of 'inside moebius 6'
image by olivier ouadah



curvy display unit exhibiting the artist's work
image by olivier ouadah


created in collaboration with belgian scriptwriter jean-michel charlier, the western serial 'blueberry'
is one of gir's most well known work. the character lieutenant blueberry goes under a noticeable
evolution in his character and personality throughout the series, something that giraud depicted
in a noticeable change in tone and graphic representation.



exhibited work
photo: olivier ouadah


drawing for the cover of 'blueberry', volume 24: mister blueberry, by gir, 1995
gouache and acrylic on paper, 44.3 x 33.6 cm
© dargaud / charlier / giraud


giarud's style varies greatly from character to character, as well as sometimes from panel to panel.
well versed in conveying different graphic atmosphere through his rendering--the minutely detailed
to the rapidly sketched--his ability to dramatically adapt to a specific tone of the narrative is further
facilitated by the wide variety of medium he employs which include etchings, watercolour,
gouache and black and white illustrations.



portrait of 'blueberry' by gir, 1973
© moebius production



exhibition view
image by olivier ouadah


the second part of the exhibition shows moebius' attraction and fascination with the science fiction genre.
having collaborated on a number of major films such as 'the fifth element', 'tron', 'alien' and 'abyss',
the abstract and hybrid elements present in his body of work explore the question of existence and discovery.



blown up drawings and comic book panels
image by olivier ouadah



image by olivier ouadah



image © designboom



image © designboom



original drawings
image © designboom


giraud is one of the rare authors who frequently includes himself as a character within his own comic strips,
often with a great diversity of style and graphic representation. 'inside moebius' is a series by moebius
where he surrounds himself with his own heroes in an imaginary landscape. his self-portrayal offers
a complex but insightful look in to his artistic identity which often shifts and transforms as evidenced
by his use of a dual pseudonym.



a model of the artist's hand
image © designboom



image © designboom



display table
image © designboom



preparatory drawing for 'arzach' by moebius, 1975
© moebius production



image by olivier ouadah



image by olivier ouadah



preparatory drawing for 'arzach' by moebius, 1995
© moebius production



'box office' by moebius, 1994
© moebius production



showing of 'la planète encore' at the exhibition
image by olivier ouadah



preparatory image from the 3D animated film, 'la planète encore', 2010
© angelefine productions and moebius poduction
3D image: BUF



display wall
image © designboom



image by olivier ouadah



'la chasse au major' by moebius, 2009
acrylic on canvas, 90 x 130 cm
© moebius



jean giraud at the exhibition
image by olivier ouadah