Photo : Pierre Antoine
Discover the exhibition "In Praise of the Line" from the agnès b. collection.
Forget rigid borders and embrace the art of the spontaneous gesture that takes over the room. Wander through this curation of iconic works where lines are not just boundaries but rhythmic movements shaping the entire space.
La Fab. (Paris 13th)
About
The exhibition Éloge du trait runs at La Fab. from September 30 to October 25, 2026. Inspired by Henri Michaux’s poem Aventures de lignes, this display features works from the agnès b. collection, examining the line as a source of energy and rhythm. Spanning drawings, sculptures, and videos, the exhibition showcases artists like Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, and Man Ray. Attendance is free under certain conditions. The venue is fully accessible, welcoming visitors in wheelchairs, those with hearing impairments, and individuals with cognitive disabilities to explore this artistic dialogue in a space dedicated to contemporary creation.
The exhibition In Praise of the Line takes as its starting point the poem Aventures de lignes (Adventures of lines) by writer Henri Michaux, written after discovering a painting by Paul Klee. In it, the poet captures the movement and musicality of the line, in its emergence that is both fragile and ephemeral. This attention paid to the line as a primary gesture, to this fragile moment when a line begins to exist, gives life to the entire exhibition.
Bringing together drawings, as well as photographs, videos, sculptures and installations, the exhibition explores how the line, in various forms and mediums, becomes a vector of energy, rhythm, and structure.
Through a selection of works from the agnès b. collection, the exhibition highlights practices where the line, freed from any descriptive function, engages the body, organizes space, and reveals a sensitive and inner dimension. From the most minimal stroke to its deployments in space, the line appears as a shared visual language, capable of articulating the visible and opening up to a plurality of interpretations.
With:
Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, François Curlet, Tracey Emin, Simon Hantaï, Mona Hatoum, Lucien Hervé, Donald Judd, Harmony Korine, Didier Marcel, Henri Michaux, Man Ray, Robert Wilson…
La Fab.:
Founded in 2020 by agnès b. — stylist, patron, gallerist, and collector — La Fab. embodies the singular gaze of an engaged player on the contemporary art scene. Resolutely open to a plurality of practices, it aims to be a place of welcome and discovery where works dialogue freely, freed from any stylistic or academic hierarchy, thus offering the public an aesthetic experience that is both demanding and open-minded.
The agnès b. collection
The collection built by agnès b. unfolds as a protean and perpetually changing whole, bringing together photographs, drawings, paintings, sculptures, installations, sound works, and videos. Through a program of thematic exhibitions, La Fab. proposes a renewed reading of it, highlighting the singularity and richness of this atypical collection, patiently built over more than forty years.
Our take on this event
Located at 6 place Jean-Michel Basquiat, La Fab. presents Éloge du trait, an exhibition dedicated to the primal gesture of the line. Drawing on the poetic vision of Henri Michaux, the collection explores how lines organize space and reveal internal dimensions beyond mere description. Visitors will encounter a diverse array of media, including photography, installations, and sculptures by prominent artists such as Tracey Emin, Simon Hantaï, Mona Hatoum, Lucien Hervé, Donald Judd, Harmony Korine, Didier Marcel, and Robert Wilson.
Established by designer and collector agnès b., La Fab. offers a unique perspective on a collection amassed over forty years. The venue encourages an open aesthetic experience, free from academic hierarchy. Doors are open Wednesday through Saturday from 11:00 to 19:00, and Sundays from 14:00 to 19:00. The exhibition space is designed to be inclusive, offering full access for wheelchair users, adaptations for those with hearing impairments, and support for visitors with cognitive disabilities.
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