Art Blog

BOOK: Footnotes for the Panther: Conversations Between William Kentridge and Denis Hirson

In June of 2010, William Kentridge asked Denis Hirson to join him in a public conversation at the opening of his retrospective exhibition at the Jeu du Paume in Paris. So fruitful was this event that the two decided to have further conversations, public and private, whenever the time and the occasion seemed right.

Nine engagements followed, allowing them to explore at great length the many issues and themes arising from Kentridge's work. These conversations grow out of a friendship that stretches back to the 1980s and that is deeply entwined in the fortunes of the city where they both grew up and the country that is the wellspring of their work.

The South African writer Denis Hirson has lived in France since 1975. His most recent novel is The Dancing and the Death on Lemon Street. He has edited three anthologies of South African writing, including In the Heat of Shadows: South African Poetry 1996 - 2013. His book, Ma langue au chat, is forthcoming from Les Éditions du Seuil.

Best known for his allegorical animations of charcoal drawings, William Kentridge has explored disciplines ranging from sculpture to books, stereoscope and opera. His works are included in many international collections, including the Museum of Modern Art; Tate Modern; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the Stedelijk Museum and the Albertina Museum. His acclaimed production of Wozzeck travels to the Metropolitan Opera, New York, for the 2019-20 season.

This book was made possible with the generous support of Goodman Gallery.

Fourthwall Books will launch Footnotes for the Panther: Conversations Between William Kentridge and Denis Hirson at the Goodman Gallery on Monday 26 February from 17:30. William Kentridge and Denis Hirson will continue their conversation.