Alexandre Joly, Vase balustre, Japon, décor de Nikkō, 1890-1909. Musée Ariana, Genève, Inv. AR 8886

Alexandre Joly (1977) has chosen the 2990 vases in the Ariana Museum’s collections as his field of artistic exploration.

He has selected several vases with oriental decoration and has used mirror effects to multiply their presence.

China and Japan, the cradles of porcelain, are characterised by the production of vases and pots with an infinite variety of decorations.

The motifs, often symbolic, are borrowed from Chinese paintings or Buddhist or Taoist iconography. The exhibition (Vases communicants) is a ballet of contrasting and complementary perceptions.