Joujou Baudelaire

Puppetry is a central theme in Wouter van Riessen’s work. One of his most significant projects in this vein is a series of photographic tableaux focusing on the oeuvre of French poet Charles Baudelaire (1821–1867), which, despite its pervasive violence, death, and decay, exudes a tender refinement. The tableaux form a visual retelling of Baudelaire’s ‘Les Fleurs du Mal’, in which the consequences of morality are exposed. Another central aspect here is the act of playing. Baudelaire, in his essay “Morale du Joujou” (1853), theorises about games and toys, arguing that toys for children are a first initiation into the world of art. Explore Van Riessen’s darkly whimsical puppetry in this book.