In the Course of Time: A Japanese Journey | October 1, 2026 – January 8, 2027, Club We are, Paris

The club We are hosting the exhibition *Au temps du temps*, a traveling exhibition from Japan, from October 1, 2026, to January 8, 2027, at 73 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris.

“Why is it that, ever since the very first day I set foot in Japan and laid eyes on it twenty years ago, I’ve had this feeling that I’m in my spiritual home?”

I am clear-eyed and critical of many social and political aspects of Japan—which I do not idealize—particularly regarding the status of women, working conditions, and the violence of its history. But from the very soul of this great civilization, thousands of years old, something reaches out to me and flows through me, without words, as if it were self-evident. A sober and subtle aesthetic is present in every aspect of daily life, from food to homes to gardens. A rare blend of Shinto animism, Buddhism, and technological modernity. In a simpler and deeply personal way, without needing to explain it, I just know it. I feel this resonance within me which, after a dozen trips, only grows stronger, deeper, and enlightens me along a calm and slow journey.

 That is why, stepping away from my usual thematic and universalist series, I wanted to share a series of photographs on Japan—not to isolate it as a model or something exotic, but to humbly share with you a few glimpses of this intimate world that embodies the very essence of what is essential to me. Japan is the land of MA, which we clumsily translate as “emptiness.” For us, emptiness represents lack, absence, nothingness. The Japanese MA is the space of silence that extends from the self to the self, from the self to the other, from the self to nature, and from the self to the universe. MA is the right distance that allows for acceptance, openness, inner listening, and genuine connection. It teaches us about time—the time it takes for our inner self to connect with the world in just the right way.

 The regal stride of a swan, a mysterious guide, a tree that has never known man, a temple of impermanence, a child’s play, a gardener of the heavens—everything speaks to me, everything makes sense to me. And I hope that, for you, everything will become a gaze, silence, and joyful contemplation. In the shattered and fragmented world in which we live, joy is the cornerstone of resistance.”

Muriel Pénicaud

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Exhibition: October 1 , 2026 – January 8, 2027

Location: We are_club at , 73 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris