We Are All Ducassians: Panel on Surrealism
Sponsored by The Grolier Club
with Beverly Adams, Kevin Saliou, Éric Walbecq, and Caroline Weber
Presented by ANOTHER SPACE at the Grolier Club, We Are All Ducassians brings together scholars and curators to explore the enduring legacy of Isidore Ducasse, better known as the Comte de Lautréamont (b. 1846 Montevideo, Uruguay – d. 1870 Paris, France), and his influential work Les Chants de Maldoror. First published in the late nineteenth century, Maldoror shocked readers with its unsettling, erotic and violent surrealist imagery. Published just before his untimely death at the age of twenty-four, the text became a foundational source for Surrealist and avant-garde artists and writers, who celebrated its rejection of convention.
Complimenting the exhibition Echoes of Maldoror scheduled to open October 2026 at ANOTHER SPACE in Chelsea NY, the symposium will feature short presentations followed by a conversation among well-known writers and curators in the field, including: Beverly Adams, MoMA’s Estrellita B. Brodsky Curator of Latin American Art and curator of the recent exhibition Wifredo Lam: When I Don’t Sleep, I Dream; Kevin Saliou, curator, writer, and publisher of Cahiers Lautréamont, whose
work explores the intersections of art, literature, and experimental forms; Éric Walbecq, writer and cultural interlocutor from the BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France) focused on literature, aesthetics, and intellectual history; and Caroline Weber, acclaimed scholar of French literature and modern intellectual culture.
Drawing on their respective fields of expertise, the speakers will consider Lautréamont’s international influence on literature, visual art, Surrealism, and the broader history of modernity. Individual presentations will be followed by a roundtable discussion, moderated by Laura Bardier and Estrellita B. Brodsky, exploring the continued relevance of Maldoror for contemporary artistic practice, of the 21st century and offering new perspectives on a writer whose influence continues to shape cultural production more than a century after his death.
Beverly Adams is MoMA’s Estrellita Brodsky Curator of Latin American Art. Before joining the Museum, Adams was the Curator of Latin American Art at the Blanton Museum at the University of Texas at Austin. Most recently, Adams organized (With Natalia Majluf) the exhibition The Avant-garde Networks of Amauta: Argentina, Mexico, and Peru in the 1920s (2019), the catalogue for which was awarded the Association for Latin American Art Arvey Foundation Exhibition Catalogue Award. Adams holds a PhD in art history from the University of Texas at Austin, focusing on Latin American art and surrealism.
Kevin Saliou is a curator and writer whose practice engages experimental artistic forms, collaborative methodologies, and contemporary cultural discourse. His work often focuses on the relationship between visual art, literature, and alternative modes of presentation.
Éric Walbecq is a writer and cultural interlocutor whose work engages questions of literature, aesthetics, and contemporary intellectual history. His research and public conversations frequently explore the relationship between avant-garde artistic movements and their continued influence on contemporary cultural production.
Caroline Weber is a scholar, author, and academic known for her work on French literature and intellectual history. Her writing examines the intersections of literature, politics, and culture, with a particular emphasis on the legacy of French modernity and its lasting influence on contemporary thought.
Registration
If you are a Grolier Club member, please register yourself and your guests via the Club website. Do not register via Eventbrite.