Curated collaboratively, the exhibition interrogates friendship as a fundamental human relationship that is essential to individual well-being and society. Taking place in the partner cities of Birmingham and Lyon, Friends in Love and War — L’Éloge des meilleur·es ennemi·es also reflects on diplomatic friendships and how regional capitals and cultural organisations can create new ways of living and working together in a post-Brexit climate.
The exhibition spans painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, textile, film, sculpture and installation, combining existing and new works by international and Birmingham-based artists to form a rich depiction of our complex personal and political friendships.
Melanie Pocock (artistic director, Exhibitions at Ikon) and Marilou Laneuville (head of Exhibitions and Publications at macLYON) say: “While many projects have launched since Birmingham and Lyon signed a twinning agreement in 1951, this exhibition is much more than a one-off partnership. It represents our shared commitment to building artistic friendships, cementing links with other institutions and supporting artists from both regions.”
