Marie-Jo Lafontaine

Babylon Babies

3 C-prints in folder, with signed book Sheet size 40,00 x 30,00 cm Signed and numbered Edition of 30


Marie-Jo Lafontaine
Babylon Babies

Marie-Jo Lafontaine (* 1950 in Antwerpen) lives and works in Brussels.

1975-1979: studied at the Ecole nationale supérieure d´Architecture et des Arts visuels La Chambre , Brussels. Guest professorships at several institutions, including the Hochschule für Kunst und Medien, ZKM, Karlsruhe (1992-1997). Numerous exhibitions and awards in Belgium and abroad.

Belgian photo and video artist Marie-Jo Lafontaine is one of the most prominent figures in contemporary European art. She gained considerable acclaim with her presentation at documenta 8.

Her more recent works address such themes as identity, youth, and youth culture. This focus is evident in her newest series of portraits entitled Babylon Babies, large-format C-prints featuring images of youths of different nationalities against vividly monochrome backgrounds. They gaze back at us as we look at them. "Their youth seems threatening in this format," writes one viewer, captured by the spell of the larger-than-life figures. Is it because they demand answers from us? What kind of a future can these young people expect? Have we ensured them a future at all?

Marie Jo Lafontaine's portrait series poses these critical questions. The artist has selected three highly expressive motifs from the series of the collector's editions.

Collector's Editions will be shipped upon receipt of payment (including postage and handling) or credit card authorization.