Jean Dubuffet and the Surge of Art Brut at Milan's MUDEC
From October 12th, 2024, to February 16th, 2025, the Museum of Cultures, MUDEC, in Milan, Italy, opens its doors to an unprecedented and revealing exhibition: 'Dubuffet and Art Brut. The Art of Outsiders' The show is a celebration of pure and instinctive art, distant from academic and cultural influences, promoted by the Collection de l’Art Brut of Lausanne, curated by Sarah Lombardi and Anic Zanzi, with scientific consultancy by Baptiste Brun for the section dedicated to Jean Dubuffet.
LEFT: Jean Dubuffet, Hôtel du Cantal, 1961, Oil on canvas, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris; RIGHT: Jean Dubuffet, Regard en arrière, 1954, Oil on canvas, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris
Jean Dubuffet: Pioneer of Art Brut
Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985) was a French artist whose career gained prominence at the end of 1944 with his first solo exhibition. Despite starting his artistic career relatively late, Dubuffet quickly established himself as a revolutionary figure in the art scene. He broke away from the conventions of art academies and cultural norms by turning to the works of non-professionals and individuals marginalized by society, such as prisoners and psychiatric hospital patients. Inspired by these expressions, Dubuffet formulated the concept of Art Brut, a raw and unrefined form of art, which he regarded as more authentic and pure than culturally polished forms. This concept challenges traditional paradigms by valuing works created outside the confines of formal arts, recognizing them as true expressions of the human mind and soul, free from cultural corruption.
LEFT: Jean Dubuffet, La Vie pastorale II, 1964, Oil on canvas, National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rome, gift of Lorenza Trucchi; RIGHT: Jean Dubuffet, Le Précepteur, 1972, Acrylic on klegecell, Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts, Lausanne, donation from Mireille and James Lévy, from their Jean Dubuffet art collection, 2019
The exhibition Dubuffet and Art Brut. The Art of Outsiders at MUDEC also highlights a fascinating range of artists who, although they may be considered secondary in the broader context of art history, are essential to the concept of Art Brut. These artists, often self-taught, come from various backgrounds and situations, frequently on the fringes of society. Here are some of the most notable ones whose works were collected by Dubuffet and are now being displayed:
Aloïse Corbaz
Aloïse Corbaz, confined in a psychiatric hospital, began to draw and write secretly, using unusual materials such as flower petals and crushed leaves. Her works are populated with princely figures and festive themes, forming a personal cosmogony that reveals her rich inner imagination. Corbaz's creations are marked by vibrant expressiveness and a colorful use that defies her enforced seclusion, standing out as powerful testimonies of the human ability to create under constraint.
LEFT: Adoration des Mages, 1952-53, Colored pencils and geranium juice on four sheets of paper sewn together, Collection de l’Art Brut, Lausanne; RIGHT: Installation View: "Dubuffet and Art Brut. The Art of Outsiders," photographed by Carlotta Coppo
Carlo Zinelli
Carlo Zinelli, whose mental health also led to prolonged periods in institutions, developed a distinctive style in his gouache works. His paintings feature stylized human figures with exaggerated anatomical details and narrative scenes that seem to reflect both his personal experiences and a complex mental landscape. Zinelli's work is a window into his mind, filled with repetitions and patterns that speak of his search for order and meaning through art.
Adolf Wölfli
Adolf Wölfli is another notable Art Brut artist whose monumental work includes more than 25,000 pages of graphic compositions, collages, writings, and musical scores. Wölfli's work is a universe unto itself, filled with symbolic systems and an intensely personal iconography that he developed while confined in a psychiatric hospital. His work is a testament to the ability of art to function as a personal system of knowledge and expression.
LEFT: Carlo Zinelli, Untitled, c. 1962, Gouache on paper, Collection de l’Art Brut, Lausanne; RIGHT: Adolf Wölfli, Untitled (Crown of Thorns of Saint Rosalia in the Shape of a Heart), 1922, Graphite and colored pencils on paper,Collection de l’Art Brut, Lausanne
Émile Ratier
Émile Ratier, a blind artist, found in sculpture an alternative way to 'see.' He created kinetic sculptures powered by cranks and sound mechanisms, using wood as his material of choice. Ratier’s work is deeply sensory, with the sounds of his sculptures guiding his hands in the creative process. His works, ranging from cars to carousels and animals, are fascinating evidence of how art can transcend physical limitations and provide new ways of perceiving and interacting with the world.
LEFT: Emile Ratier, Untitled, 1968, Wood and other materials, Collection de l’Art Brut, Lausanne; RIGHT: Laure Pigeon, Untitled, 1953, Ink on paper, Collection de l’Art Brut, Lausanne
The Collection and the Exhibition
Through the generous donation by Dubuffet to the city of Lausanne in 1971, it was possible to establish the Collection de l’Art Brut, which today boasts over 70,000 works. The exhibition at MUDEC features more than 70 pieces, including some of the earliest items collected by Dubuffet. This diverse corpus includes drawings, paintings, sculptures, and textile works that demonstrate the breadth and depth of the vision of Art Brut artists.
Installation View: "Dubuffet and Art Brut. The Art of Outsiders," photographed by Carlotta Coppo
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