Artist Raphaël Barontini offers a reinterpretation of History, particularly African and Caribbean, by presenting dynamic and fluid narratives that blend contemporary techniques with archives from the past. He explores figuration and the tradition of classical painting through a selection of recent works or pieces created specifically for his exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo. Paintings, costumes and textiles are showcased in an original scenography inspired by the architecture of the Palais Sans Souci in Haiti and accompanied by a sound piece by poet and music producer Mike Ladd. The exhibition offers a comprehensive and generous narrative, blending the real and the fictional, and bringing together the artist’s different areas of research by proposing a renewal of imaginaries.

The title of the exhibition, “Somewhere in the Night, the People Dance”, is inspired by a passage from Aimé Césaire’s play “The Tragedy of King Christophe”. Published in 1963, it explores the challenges faced by the Haitian people in building a new nation after the struggle against slavery and French colonisation in the late 18^th century. It focuses on the complex figure of Henri Christophe, general of the Haitian revolution and self-proclaimed king, who built the Palais Sans Souci. The title also evokes the joy that the power of the collective can bring, in every culture.

Raphaël Barontini presents a new performance, Bal Pays, on April 12^th, 2025.