The Language of Madness and Art Exhibition at Salon DeHon
Taking the concept of delirious language, as defined by French philosopher Michel Foucault is the jumping off point and slant of an intriguing new exhibition at Salon DeHon.
- Alexis Arnold, 2012, Digital Collage © Alexis Arnold, Amber Young
Madness and art have long been intertwined–the image of the tortured artist plagued by self-doubt and performing self-flagellation to the point of mental instability is so ubiquitous it has become a cliché.
Enter “delirious language,” the subject of the upcoming group show at Salon DeHon, defined by Foucault as “the ultimate truth of madness insofar as it is madness’s organizing form, the determining principle of all its manifestations, whether of the body or of the soul.”
Unpacking the discourse of madness, Foucault journeys back to the Middle Ages in his renowned treatise Madness and Civilization and unpacks the internal logic of the language of madness and explains how the structure of madness reinforces delirium.
Salon DeHon hosts a salon style group show to dissect different interpretations of what Foucalt’s definition of “delirious language” means to a number of different artists starting July 24, 2012 until September 4, 2012. Admission is free.
