LES TROIS VISAGES D’HÉLIOGABALE
- Project presented during the Contemporaine de Nîmes, from April 5 to June 23, 2024.
- Every day from 7:30am to 8pm, apart from special events which may require early closure.
- Opening: Friday, April 5 from 6pm to 10pm.
- Project in the public space, free admission.
RUE ROMAINE – MUSÉE DE LA ROMANITÉ
16 boulevard des Arènes, 30000 Nîmes
Fascinated by the little-known Roman emperor Heliogabalus, artist and filmmaker Valentin Noujaïm made him the protagonist of his latest video project, “Les Trois visages d’Héliogabale” [The Three Faces of Heliogabalus], filmed at the Temple of Diana in Nîmes. Working in collaboration with the artist Ali Cherri, who created the three masks featured in the film and displayed as a mirror image of the video overhanging the Roman Street pit at the Musée de la Romanité, Valentin Noujaïm pays tribute to and reconsiders the controversial figure of this teenage emperor, who reigned from 218 to 222 AD and was subjected to a damnatio memorae, a deletion from the historical archives. By reinterpreting the codes of ancient theater, the work – which was produced with the participation of high school students specializing in cinema – examines the anarchist legacy of Heliogabalus. This collaborative installation reflects the shared interest of both artists in archaeology, temporal juxtapositions, and contemporary reinterpretations of past forms. Together, they invite us to cross a bridge to witness a fragment of imagined history.
Project presented with the collaboration of:
Musée de la Romanité, High school Philippe Lamour, Imane Farès
Support for the film “Les Trois visages d’Héliogabale” by Valentin Noujaïm:
Centre national des arts plastiques
Delegated production of the film “Les Trois visages d’Héliogabale” by Valentin Noujaïm:
Illiade et Films