New exhibition of work by British artist David Hockney opens in Mons on 4 October

The city of Mons is staging the major exhibition David Hockney: Le Chant de la Terre, exploring the profound relationship between man and nature, from 4 October to 25 January.

It will feature an exceptional collection of paintings by the British artist, some of which are monumental in scale, as well as his recent compositions created on iPads.

The exhibition at the city’s contemporary art museum CAP (Culture, Art et Patrimoine) presents paintings by other major artists alongside works by Hockney. They include Vincent van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Constantin Meunier and Nordic Symbolist painters from the turn of the 20th century, such as Finnish artist Albert Edelfelt and the Estonian Konrad Mägi.

Le Chant de la Terre is described as a polyphonic journey that blends painting, music and poetry. Gustav Mahler's symphony Song of the Earth serves as a central theme to create a visual and sonic experience for visitors. Composed in 1907-1908, the work pays homage to nature, its fragile beauty and its vital force. It reflects how music as well as the countryside inspire the Yorkshire-born artist.

Spread across six sections and three immersive spaces of the museum, the exhibition is curated by Isabelle Cahn, honorary general curator of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.  

One of the instigators of London’s pop art movement of the 1960s, Hockney is as well-loved in popular culture as by critics. Although his most iconic works are largely figurative, he has increasingly turned his attention to landscapes. The 88-year-old artist is proving particularly prolific in his latter years.

A double exhibition of Hockney’s work - past and present - was staged at Bozar in Brussels in 2021 and a major presentation of his extensive oeuvre is currently on show at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris until 31 August.

The upcoming exhibition in the Hainaut capital is a continuation of the city’s cultural policy of presenting international exhibitions featuring renowned artists with the support of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the region of Wallonia.

Photos: “Summer Sky" 2008 ©David Hockney/Collection Bagnouls; "Self Portrait II, 14th March 2012" ©David Hockney, courtesy Galerie Lelong; "The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011 (twenty eleven) - 11 May" ©David Hockney/Ersnt Collection; "25th June 2022, Looking at the Flowers (Framed)" ©David Hockney, courtesy Galerie Lelong