There are exhibitions that come about as a result of a series of life’s coincidences that, taken together, make the decision seem inevitable. Such is the case with Alexandre Clair’s exhibition, titled Aura bleue. Alexandre was recommended to me by the artist Fabien Merelle, whose discerning eye never fails. Fabien’s advice is always invaluable to me; I admire his ability to engage with others’ work, synthesize it, and appreciate it. When he introduced me to Alexandre’s work, I was, like him, struck by the subject matter and his technical mastery.

Alexandre Clair is a painter of the field. That field is the operating room. The French artist captures scenes he has experienced firsthand: moments of action, concentration, and emotion. He is the artist of the moment. An impressionist in his own right, he seizes the instant when everything, suspended in time, is decided, transformed, and transposed… without ever becoming static. Alexandre Clair becomes a motionless spectator, sharing the anxiety, the tensions, and the relief, passing through a vast emotional spectrum without being able to intervene. It is only upon returning to the studio that he, in turn, becomes an actor in this theater of truth. With the surgeons, he establishes a silent bond, which sometimes -often- translates into a unique friendship.

I was speaking of coincidences. I decided to organize this exhibition because I am also close to the medical community. My parents, both surgeons, passed on their passion to me, a passion that, in my daily life, manifests itself through a curiosity that remains as strong as ever. I grew up surrounded by medical discussions, by the blue-tinged vocabulary of surgery -the ward, patients, diagnoses, emergencies, results, lab tests, analyses, flaps, grafts, rare diseases, post-operative visits, conferences, staff meetings- a whole vocabulary that fueled my imagination as a child and my interest as a teenager and then as an adult. So from the very beginning, I wanted to make this exhibition a family project.

When I mentioned the idea to my parents, they embraced it immediately. They encouraged Alexandre to reflect on the meaning of his work, introduced him to surgeons, and shared their experiences with him. Then, the magic happened, and the doctors themselves stepped forward to join the adventure of the project.

Today, it is with immense pleasure that I present this exhibition, at the crossroads of art, medicine, intertwined stories, and above all, the magnificent work of Alexandre Clair. We would like to thank the surgeons and hospital staff for agreeing to participate, and we are delighted that this reflective exhibition can serve as a showcase for a different perspective on their daily lives. I hope the exhibition will slow down time and that they will take the opportunity to admire the beauty of their movements and the moments they know how to create in the midst of urgency.

The list of volunteers is now open for the second round!

(Text by Lara Sedbon)