Edited by Marie Angeletti with Gianmaria Andreetta and Camilla Wills.

Paradis is a continuation of the eponymous exhibition conceived by artist Marie Angeletti in Marseilles in 2021. The exhibition brought together 56 artists of different origins and generations. More than just a transcription of this event, this catalogue brings together some one hundred contributions, combining critical texts, poetry, artists’ writings and new translations, alongside an equally large number of visual contributions and ad hoc works, most of them previously unpublished.

Taking its title from the Elaine May’s 1987 film Ishtar, this group exhibition curated by Los Angeles-based critic Bruce Hainley touches on many of the same interests and dichotomies: a comedy that is political and analytical at the same time; an abstraction but also a representation; and a cultural production outside of much discourse. The catalogue traces the attempt to create an informed dialogue for artwork that evades easy classifications and readymade discussions of abstraction vs. representation. Featured artists include: Brian Calvin, Samara Caughey, Lecia Dole-Recio, Trisha Donnelly, Vincent Fecteau, Richard Hawkins, Larry Johnson, Patrick Hill, Cady Noland, Sturtevant.