Joël Andrianomearisoa : Tools of emotions and desires

Recognised since the early 2000s for his poetic and pluridisciplinary practice, Joël Andrianomearisoa opens a window onto his world at the Ludwig Museum, where design, textiles, poetry, sound, neon lights, and craftsmanship all come together within the exhibition space. Born in Antananarivo in 1977, Andrianomearisoa lives and works between Madagascar and Paris. Navigating this cultural in-between, he draws on multiple roots, working across languages and weaving together cultural and historical references to create an art that is both deeply personal and broadly universal.

This exhibition devoted to Andrianomearisoa is the first to revisit and show his early production phase. Bringing together works from 2003 to the present, this exhibition is more than a retrospective; it acts as an introspective, moving through different periods to delve into Joël’s sentimental universe. Spread across two floors of the Ludwig Museum, the exhibition opens with a first chapter immersed in darkness: walls draped in black veils, illuminated by a few white neon lights, reveal a series of black tapestries. Upstairs, the second chapter continues with light, raffia, and woven textures.

Often described as sentimental, Joël Andrianomearisoa blends minimalism’s elegance with the emotional resonance of natural materials. His work awakens memories, histories, and desires, inviting visitors on an emotional journey where desire becomes a force for engagement, transformation, and transcendence.

Text in English and German.