Diplomatic World 67

H.E. ANNE-MARIE DESCÔTES
AMBASSADOR
OF FRANCE TO GERMANY
I am very grateful to Walter Smerling for having given me the
opportunity to inaugurate alongside him this unique exhibition of
the works of Bernar Venet, in the presence of this immense and
singular artist.
It is fantastic that Bernar Venet’s individual retrospective is the
first exhibition of a series in the historic and extraordinary premises
of Tempelhof Airport.
Time and again, Bernar VENET has been making guest appearances
in Germany since the seventies. His sculptures are well
known in many German Länder and have also shaped the
cityscape here in Berlin. Here I am thinking of the sculpture
“Arc de 124,5°” at the Urania, donated to the city by the French
state in 1987 to mark Berlin’s 750th anniversary.
the greatest German contemporary artists: Georg Baselitz at the
Centre Pompidou, Anselm Kiefer at the Grand Palais Ephémère
and Josef Beuys at the Palais de Tokyo. This is a strong sign of
mutual interest at a time when Franco-German cooperation is
so indispensable in all fields. That is why we generally promote
exchanges of artists, which is so important.
Furthermore, in the context of France’s six-month Presidency
of the Council of the EU, culture is fundamental in promoting a
European identity. Our Presidency’s triple motto is “recovery,
strength and a sense of belonging”. Art and culture are key to
mutual understanding and can help to create a sense of belonging
among citizens, especially among young people to whom art
is so meaningful, to which Bernar Venet’s unique retrospective
makes an exceptional contribution.
It is a great pleasure for me to have this exhibition in Berlin. There
are also currently three exhibitions in Paris dedicated to some of
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