An exhibition dedicated to the Corsican painter and comic artist Serge Micheli entitled “Facets of the World – From prehistory Corsica to Russia by Jules Verne and the US” has just opened at the Art-Maniak gallery in Paris, highlighting three important facets of the artist’s career.
Serge Micheli (1970 – ) is a Corsican comic book artist and painter, a graduate of the École Supérieure of Graphic Arts “Met de Penninghen” in Paris in 1994, studying alongside artists such as Tardi, Moebius and Druillet.
After graduating, he soon exhibited his works in Paris and turned to comics. He published several adaptations of Jules Verne’s novels, before taking an interest in the history of his native island, Corsica. Serge Micheli is also passionate about Russia and its eventful past.
Curated by Florian Rubis, running until 20th November 2021 and previously exhibited in Russia, as well as Serge’s paintings on Sovietism, the exhibition includes pages from his 2000 adaptation of Un drame en Livonie (“A Drama in Livonia”) by Jules Verne, set in Tsarist Russia, and from Korsis – La Dame Blanche (“Korsis – The White Lady”) from Corsica Comix (2015).
Serge Micheli’s paintings on Sovietism, offer his vision of Russia’s rich history, seeking to identify with the artists who worked during the Communist era.
Between 2014 and 2017, the French Institute invited him to Russia and then Ukraine to present his adaptations of Jules Verne.
“I was supposed to come back with comic book subjects and I came back with paintings in my head,” he notes. “Working on the art and propaganda of the USSR was an old student idea; therefore, it was impossible to resist it.
“Through painting, I began to revolve around the great statues of the Soviet era, just as the Wenders camera revolves around Berlin buildings; I was fascinated by the way these monuments are staged in public space; I was fascinated by the terrible history that gave birth to them; by their impact on our imagination and also, it must be said, by their masterful beauty.”
• Serge Micheli: Facets of the World – From Corsican prehistory to Jules Verne’s Russia and the USSR | 4th – 20th November 2021 | 10 Rue de la Grange Batelière, 75009 Paris, France | Exhibition details here | Home Page: art-maniak.com
WEB LINKS
• Voyage into the Deep: The Saga of Jules Verne and Captain Nemo written by François Rivière, with art by Serge Micheli, coloured by Mélanie Dupas was published in English 2004 by Harry N. Abrams | Find it on AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
• Un drame en Livonie: D’après l’oeuvre de Jules Verne – French edition – by François Rivière (writer) Serge Micheli (artist), adapted from the novel by Jules Verne (Amazon UK Affiliate Link)
Serge Micheli at Work… (in French)
With thanks to Paul Gravett
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Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
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