r n Laza n Oue t a Marli Sain d e Krisztin d : l Brigi Miche Photos The members of the committee At five o'clock precisely, on were thrilled when we were Thursday, the weary trio was informed that the Society was blasted awake by a brass band invited to exhibit at the prestig- playing under the window. Be- ious and world-renowned Mu- ing pitch dark and, up to then, seum HR Giger at the Chateau remarkably silent the sound of St. Germain in Gruyeres. We brass instruments seemed in- knew it would be a complex credibly loud and we leapt out undertaking but, as it was an of bed as if the place was on opportunity of a lifetime, we fire. They played one tune and knuckled down and set about silently marched away never to organising the exhibition. be seen again. After a juried selection of the We eagerly waited to join in the works the paintings started ar- celebrations but zilch...nothing riving at Brigid's house and happened. We later learnt that were stored in her studio. this year another village had (What would we do without her been selected for the festivi- kindness?) ties. The three of us spent the Switzerland is not in the Euro- The entrance to the exhibition - through day unwrapping the works and the museum and along the balcony pean Union so we had to ob- stacking them in size order to tain custom documents. This make it simple to select the was bureaucracy at its crazi- customs, at the leaving port, before next day. est. It meant unpacking every departing from the UK. We were work, weighing it, noting down booked on the 11.00 o'clock Euro- Laurie Lipton and I (Brigid), its size and its author then tunnel shuttle and we arrived at the flew to Switzerland on Thurs- making a thumbnail picture to terminal in plenty of time. We went day. We checked into our hotel include in a massive document in search of a custom official to be and went out to have dinner, which had to be typed and re- told that there were none stationed and we encountered the intrep- produced in triplicate (of there, and one would have to come id trio walking down the street course). This cost the Society from Dover or Folkestone. That - it could have been an amaz- £320 for the privilege of doing would take half an hour. Three ing coincidence except for the all this work. These sorts of hours later, after having waited pa- fact that there is only one road expenses are what make or- tiently in the car-park, we finally got in and out of the section of ganising exhibitions so prohibi- clearance and managed to get on Gruyeres where the museum is tive. Many hire firms do not the 14.30 shuttle. located. It is a tiny but very allow their vehicles to leave the The journey after that was une- picturesque place. Every UK so, after a prolonged ventful; we spent the night in house is decorated in the search we found one that Reims, and we arrived in Gruyeres Swiss style and the entire vil- would allow the van to be used the next afternoon. Giger had gra- lage is dominated by the Cha- in Europe for an added premi- ciously invited us (Michel, Eike and teau St. Germain. um of £220 (another extra Christina) to use his flat, which is Over the meal we were regaled cost) above the daily cost of part of the museum, as a base. We by the trio's adventures and hiring and insurance. When had arrived a day early because on arranged for an early start, the Michel collected the custom the Thursday, a religious holiday, next day, to get the works on documents it was stressed that traffic would be unable to enter the the walls. It looked like an im- they had to be stamped by village. possible task - the store room An artist has no need to express his thought directly in his work for the latter to reflect its quality pdf created by www.littlegiger.com Marcel Proust 1871-1922 was overflowing The official open- with the art works ing was on Satur- and, at first day, June 17th, at glance, the hang- 17.00 hours. That ing space seemed morning Eike and inadequate. This Michel went into is where the idea the nearest town of arranging the to buy food so that works by size we could invite proved to be a life- some of the art- saver. By dint of ists, who had trav- hanging the larg- elled to Gruyeres, est pictures first, for lunch. We ate and then fitting the in the kitchen of medium and the flat while look- smaller ones ing at a magnifi- around them, the cent view over the rooms began to Michel, Brigid, Laurie and Eike hard at work! countryside and take shape. It was wonderful to see that each exchanging excited news, ideas and observa- artist on the hanging committee had such a tions. We don't often get the chance to meet beautiful vision as to how the works should be overseas artists so it is always exciting when arranged. Unfortunately none of the visions co- we get a chance to do so. incided! Things were getting heated when it was After lunch we changed into our finery, and suggested that we elect one person who would gathered in the exhibition rooms to await Giger, make the final decision. Michel was elected, and who had graciously agreed to open the show. It he had some tough decisions to make! Artists is no surprise that we were beginning to be are lovely people but can become quite temper- nervous - would Giger like the show? After an amental at times. After the pain was over, the anxious wait we heard that Giger had arrived. rooms began to take shape - each artist's vision There was a large crowd gathered to see him contributed to the overall effect, and when we He has film star status in Switzerland: News- stood back, the miracle had happened - we had men and television crews recorded his arrival. a cohesive exhibition, It was a tense time for us. He looked around before he beamed and walls and ceilings you said This is a very good would be rewarded with show! All the works are cheese. excellent and yet so differ- He was toying with a new ent and we are very creative idea - a chute pleased to have the Socie- from the top floor of the ty exhibiting with us." Museum which would al- We all cheered as much low people to slide down with relief as appreciation. to the bottom in a hair-rais- Later Giger and Carmen ing ride. I didn't fancy it invited the organisers and myself. I Told Giger that some of the artists to a Eike Erzmoneit, who was celebration dinner at a sitting opposite us, had nearby restaurant. We all hung every single paint- sat at a huge table and ing. "He is a miracle!" I most of us had cheese fon- exclaimed. Giger, who due - a speciality of the was sharing an enormous region. Giger told me that cheese fondue pan with the restaurant was very old Eike, remarked that he al- and had been serving so was a great trencher- cheese fondue for so long man. Eike had achieved that if you scraped the the near impossible task of Giger, Michel and Brigid Various aspects of the upstairs and downstairs galleries finishing the vast amount of melted cheese in front of them and Giger smiled at him and said that this was miracle-working too! It was a time to be remembered - Giger sitting in the middle of the golden lights of the restaurant like a happy paterfamilias and all the artists in his magic circle suddenly becoming, for a moment, part of his family - the family of the brotherhood of art. It was hard to leave after so many new friendships had been formed - and such an exciting atmosphere had been created - however we were left with the satisfying feeling that all the hard work and planning had paid off and the Society had launched a historic show! Listen! There never was an artistic period. There never was an Art-loving nation. James McNeill Whistler 1834-1903 REVIEW PUBLISHED IN THE FREIBURGER NACHRICHEN MAGAZINE (SWITZERLAND) Jurgen Geier's work contrasting with a Giger door at the Museum HR Giger Review of the Gruyeres exhibition which ap- LONG TRADITIONS: peared in the FREIBURGER NACHRICHTEN in German There have always been artists who followed their own visions rather than the current predominant IN THE REALM OF FANTASY trends in art. Early exponents of fantastic art were Jan and Hubert van Eyck and Hieronymus Bosch. By Carol Schneuwly The work of the great painters of the Italian Renais- sance such as Sandro Botticelli and Leonardo da 50 artists show their personal visions in a spe- Vinci can also be placed in this tradition. Pieter cial exhibition in the Museum HR Giger in Gruy- Brueghel the Elder, Rembrandt and William Blake eres are other examples. In the 19th and early 20th centuries it was amongst In 1995 the Society for Art of Imagination was found- others, the French Symbolists Gustave Moreau and ed in England. It is a kind of brotherhood of artists Paul Gauguin, the Norwegian Edvard Munch and devoted to surreal and fantastic art. At the Museum Gustav Klimt in Austria who put their stamp on HR Giger in Gruyeres the Society is exhibiting on fantastic art.