From June 22 to October 3, 2016, the Parisian museum will be paying homage to the literary and artistic movement of the beatniks with an exhibition entitled "Beat Generation."
Spanning a period from the late 1940s to the late 1960s, the Beat Generation scandalized America in the dawning days of the Cold War. The movement laid the foundations for the liberation of youth culture and is now recognized as one of the major cultural movements of the 20th century. The Beat Generation is now also the subject of an exhibition at the French capital's Centre Pompidou.
After forming when beatnik novelists and poets William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac met in New York, the heart of the Beat Generation then shifted to San Francisco on the USA's west coast. From 1957, the movement gained ground in Europe, with Paris becoming an important center of activity. The city's Beat Hotel proved a particular focal point, with regular guests including William Burroughs, Gregory Corso, Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky and Brion Gysin.
In homage to its shifting centres, the "Beat Generation" exhibition is organized geographically. It is split into three main sections covering New York, California and Paris, as well as smaller sections on Mexico and Tangiers.
The New York section focuses on the relationship between music and literature, and explores the technology of the age, such as vinyl records and typewriters. The California area focuses on the literary and artistic scene from 1952 to 1965. The show then takes visitors to Mexico, exploring the many factors that drew beatniks over the border, including the country's violent yet magical appeal. Next, the show heads to Tangiers, highlighting the influence of trance music recorded by Paul Bowles during his visits to Morocco in 1959. The exhibition ends with a section on Paris, where several major Beat poetry works were written, particularly at the Beat Hotel.
The exhibition is accompanied by a program of readings, concerts, meetings, films and other events.
"Beat Generation" runs June 22 to October 3, 2016, at Centre Pompidou, Paris.