Faces of Francis,

MLIS, Villeurbanne

, 2024

Faces of Francis is the title of Alfredo Aceto’s exhibition at the MLIS. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Like the title of a gripping spy novel, or the name of a board game where players exchange counterfeit banknotes. Repeated several times, it becomes difficult to pronounce, as if it were a speech therapy exercise where your tongue might slip.

In reality, Faces of Francis is the name of the perfume the artist wears. So, you could say that this title, which so easily sparks the imagination, was revealed to him in the reflection of his bathroom mirror.

The images and objects Alfredo Aceto creates stem from things or signs within reach, or ones he stumbles upon by chance. Their rearrangement, even through a simple gesture, sets potential fictions in motion. Sometimes they sketch out suspicious scenarios. This is the case with the collection of photographs gathered for this exhibition, most of which contain underlying stories and images. It is through these gaps that Alfredo Aceto's work critiques stereotyped representations, norms, and power: whether masculine, economic, or creative power.

Julie Portier