Principality meets two authentic artists straight from Switzerland
The first screening of the documentary on Joe Boehler took place in the prestigious Oceanographic Museum © Monaco Tribune / Théo Briand
Joe Boehler and Fanny Audemars were on hand to meet the audience at the Art3f show in Monaco, and were able to talk to them at three round table events.
Despite the summer holidays, the Art3f show was a real success for Fanny Audemars and Joe Boehler, two Swiss-based artists who captivated around sixty visitors a day with their paintings and sculptures. The artist duo commanded the visitors’ attention not only through the quality and emotion of their work, but also through their sincerity and artistic commitment.
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To coincide with their exhibition at Art3f, Fanny Audemars and Joe Boehler presented their documentary film Cri de l’âme, an introspective journey into the art, creative process and life of Joe Boehler. His rich and profound artistic universe attracted dozens of spectators every day, thanks to the darkness his canvases exude, but also, paradoxically, their light, which is filled with humanity. Through the documentary, the audience was able to discover the tortured but bright soul of the artist, whose quest for humanity and justice can be seen in each of his creations.
Joe Boehler: A soul’s cry that echoes in Monaco
Florence Doyen, the artist’s biographer, sums up the essence of his work in one sentence: “Joe bears the suffering of the people he paints.” It is this ability to depict deep human emotions that makes his work so touching, and with no artifice.
Joe Boehler was drawn to the creative arts from an early age. However, family circumstances initially led him away from this vocation, forcing him to pursue a more stable career. That’s how he came to shine in pastry-making, becoming Meilleur Ouvrier de France on three occasions. But art remained his true passion. During the discussions that followed the documentary’s screenings at the Oceanographic Museum and the Grimaldi Forum, he spoke movingly of his unfulfilled desire for fatherly affection. A poignant confession that brought a tear to the eye of some members of the audience.
Fanny Audemars: A sculptor who has stood the test of time
Fanny Audemars embarked on her own career in sculpture 27 years ago, having met Joe, who encouraged her to make a radical career change. Fanny then threw herself entirely into sculpture. One of her masterpieces is Les âmes du temps (the souls of time), a monumental clock that is naturally powered by the current of Le Brassus river, signifying life and its fleeting nature. If the water dries up, the clock will stop .
Three years after they met, the duo founded the ABPi Foundation with the aim of preserving Joe Boehler’s artistic legacy, while supporting young, innovative but resource-poor artists. “Joe has always been humble and generous,” said Fanny Audemars, curator of the exhibition and the artist’s life partner, at one of the round-table discussions that followed the screening of the documentary.
Reflecting through art
Fanny A. and Joe Boehler believe art should be thought-provoking. “If it’s just for decoration, I won’t sell it,” he says, firmly. His unconventional artistic approach has already seduced a wide audience, many of whom came to see the documentary in Switzerland and, more surprisingly for the artists, also in the United States and China.
In Monaco, the turnout was just as surprising and encouraging, despite initial fears about the timing during the summer holidays. At each screening – the first at the Oceanographic Museum last Friday, followed by two more at the Grimaldi Forum on Saturday and Sunday – around twenty people came to see the documentary about Joe Boehler.
Joe Boehler: A soul’s cry that echoes in Monaco
Intrigued by the documentary’s dark but striking poster, one visitor voiced her delight at having discovered such a genuine and unique artist, who she hadn’t previously heard of. “I saw these very dark canvases and wondered ‘why?’. I understand better now, thanks to the documentary,” she told us after the screening and a truly enriching discussion between the audience, Joe Boehler and Fanny Audemars, where everyone gained a deeper understanding of the artist, his work, and the couple’s insights.
Original (French language) article by Théo Briand