Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966) and Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) first met in 1937 and their friendship developed after the Second World War. Endless evenings in the bars of Montparnasse and wanderings at night through the streets of Paris deepened their friendship and helped to bring their practices closer. In 1961, Giacometti designed the scenography of Beckett’s masterpiece 'Waiting for Godot'.
For the first time, the Giacometti Institute presents the bonds that brought the artist and the writer closer. Seminal sculptures by Giacometti – 'The Cage' (1950), 'Three Men Walking' (1947) and 'Head on a Rod' (1947) – as well as rarely-seen drawings will be displayed alongside texts, theater works and films by Beckett and a re-enactment by the artist Gerard Byrne of the tree created by Giacometti for Godot's play. The exhibition will highlight common themes and research in their art: solitude, a sense of the absurd, the creative process (the famous ‘fail better’ from 'Worstward Ho'), the body (medium and boundary), scenography and words.
