We celebrated the book launch of Julie Legouez's The Cure together with the opening of her exhibition My Happy Place at the Kollaborativ Gallery in Berlin. Both the book and the exhibition explore the artist's personal experiences with domestic violence.
On March 7, 2024, Julie Legouez presented her first artist publication, The Cure , at the Kollaborativ Gallery in Berlin. Numerous interested guests were present to meet the artist and learn about her work. The event was moderated and the artist talk was led by Karen Appel.
During the event, Legouez read excerpts from her publication, in which she addresses her personal experiences as a survivor of domestic violence. In the subsequent artist talk, she presented the concept behind her book and offered the audience insights into the creative process she developed in collaboration with designer Daniel Hahn. Conceived as a "file," the book documents her artistic exploration of the topic of violence against women and thus reflects her personal experience of being affected.
A highly political topic that rarely finds its place in art. It's good that someone is finally talking about it.
Julia Meyer-Brehm, art historian and curator
Coinciding with the book's release, Legouez opened her solo exhibition, My Happy Place , which she conceived and organized specifically for the book launch. This exhibition, which ran from March 8th to April 8th, presented further works by the artist and served as a kind of continuation of the book.
The Cure is not just a book, but a powerful statement. It sheds light on a topic that is far too rarely discussed openly. Through her courageous decision to share her personal experiences, Legouez offers strength and hope to victims of domestic violence.
The beautifully designed book "The Cure" tells the story of breaking free from a toxic love relationship. Julie Legouez artistically weaves together diary entries and documentary archival material to create a multifaceted portrait of gender-specific psychological and physical abuse. Intense, disturbing, and insightful, it quickly becomes clear that this is about more than just one personal tragedy.
Katharina Schilling, art historian and curator
Photos of © Jonathan Goudefroy, 8th am (second to last picture)
